Learning to make Greek Chicken as I was growing up was kind of like a rite of passage. There was a friendly competition between all the women in my family as to who could make the best batch...to see who's version could cause the eater to take that first bite and then close their eyes blissfully. Even though we all used the same ingredients there is something intangible about what each cook does to this recipe that can make it transcend ordinary baked chicken.
What truly makes me happy is that this recipe has been passed on beyond the familial boundaries and I now have friends who will call up to tell me they made this dish for their family and how well it turned out. Nothing could make me feel more proud!
I haven't put exact measurements for some of the ingredients you'll have to trust your palate and use your best judgment with that. As the weather begins to get cooler this is an easy, comfort food, kind of supper. Let me know how it turns out...
Ingredients:
1 whole cut up chicken - discard the innards. You can also use your favorite chicken pieces, but if you do be sure to use bone in chicken with the skin on. Even if you remove the skin later, trust me, it will be much better if you cook with the skin on.
1-2 lbs. red potates
Juice of 6 lemons
1 cup white wine
1 can chicken broth
8 garlic cloves - thinly sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper
Dried Oregano
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Rinse your chicken and pat it dry
Clean potatoes and depending on the side either cut them in half or quarter them.
Place the chicken in a large roasting pan and scatter the cut up potatoes amongst the chicken pieces.
Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and potatoes - you want to lightly coat each piece - then rub the oil in with your hands.
Pour the lemon juice, half the white wine and half of the can of broth over the chicken & potatoes.
Scatter the garlic slices around the pan.
Season all the chicken generously with salt, pepper and oregano. Don't be shy - you don't want wimpy flavors - think Greek!
Place the pan in the oven and let it bake for 20-30 minutes until the skin starts to brown. Baste the chicken, then lower the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for another 40-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, basting at least every 20 minutes - you can do it more if you like.
Note: If the sauce in the bottom of your pan begins to dry out, add the remaining wine and chicken broth. If not, drink the wine and keep the chicken broth for another day.
Once the chicken is done, remove it from the oven, cover the pan with foil and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
Serve with Peasant Salad or Corn Salad (I'll post those simple recipes another day) along with a nice white wine and a toasted baguette to sop up all that fabulous lemony sauce!
Opa!!














































