Six Week Project: Day Three

Just once in my life have I had the privilege of diving, submerging myself into the pristine blue waters that ebb and flow through the Mediterranean Sea, gently massaging the gray and white beaches, the ancient jig-saw like shoreline of Greece. If I never make it there again, my memory of that experience, of swimming through the deep blue with an ominous black aquarium below, the salt and the sunshine, the feeling of running my hand like a rudder through magical waters once navigated by King Menelaus, upon which Helen’s face launched a thousand ships will last me the rest of my lifetime. I surely hope, however, that it won’t come to that. Tonight, while my girlfriend and I shared our meal together, I was momentarily taken back to a cafe near the sea where I was served steaming hot moussaka and crisp wedges of bursting pink watermelon on a dry, hot night in the briny air of Corfu.

When I make food for the people I love the most, I am compelled to implore all of my food ethics, philosophies and inherited traditions so that like a bubbling risotto, the deepest feelings in my heart will be absorbed into everything I lovingly prepare. This was on my mind when I was crafting the menu for Sunday dinner. Like many American families, mine has a bit of a tradition of having Sunday dinners together, therefore causing this day’s meal to take precedence over all other eating engagements throughout the week. This particular Sunday I had an opportunity to share love and food with someone I love immensely, and therefore my menu had to reflect that.

What I settled on was a Mediterranean Pot-Roasted Chicken and Greek Salad, with a baguette from the Village Bakery. It has never been put past me to toot my own horn and so I will do it without hesitation. This chicken was phenomenal. I wish I could’ve fed the entire block, because I’m fairly certain the aroma from my house probably spread that far. It began to fill the house just moments after putting the hefty pot into the oven, and by the time it was finished, it smelled so good it was almost unbearable. When my girlfriend emerged from the shower just before dinner was ready, she commented that the worst part about being in the bathroom for that half an hour was the fact that she couldn’t smell the dinner. This meal was so easy, will feed four, and is healthy and heavy with local ingredients. While we were eating, we decided that this meal would be one of my signatures, in so much as it will be one of the things that will invoke the plea, “Honey, will you make Greek Chicken tonight?”


Queen Honeybea’s Greek Pot Roasted Chicken
Greek Salad
Baguette

1 small, local, free-range chicken (I have no preference between fryer or roaster, to be honest)
1 clove local garlic, minced
2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
2 TBS. dried oregano (or fresh if in season)
1 TBS. dried thyme (or fresh if in season)
1 TBS. lemon zest (about half a lemon)
2 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 lemon
½ yellow onion, divided
2 cloves local garlic, roughly chopped
2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
1 TBS. dried oregano
Six small to medium size local red potatoes, peeled and cut into long wedges
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, cut into slices
¼ cup pitted kalamata olives
2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
1 TBS. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 cup dry white wine

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prep the herb paste, cavity stuffing, and vegetables to go along with the chicken. First make the herb paste: In a small bowl, mash together the minced clove of garlic, 2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley, 2 TBS. dried oregano, 1 TBS. dried thyme, 1 TBS. lemon zest, and 2 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside. Next, halve the lemon. Quarter one half (the half you just zested for the paste), and slice the other half into thin slices. Place the quarters in one bowl and the slices in another. Halve the ½ an onion. Sliver one half into slices and set aside with the lemon slices. Chunk the other half and set aside with the lemon quarters. In the bowl with the lemon quarters and onion chunks, add the chopped garlic, 2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley, and 1 TBS. dried oregano. To the bowl with the onion and lemon slices, add the potato wedges, sun dried tomatoes, olives, 2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley, and 1 TBS. dried oregano. Now you should have 3 bowls prepared: one with the herb paste, one with the chunked lemon and onions to stuff into the cavity of the chicken, and one with the lemon slices, onion slices, and potatoes to place around the chicken in the pot.

2. Prepare the chicken: Rinse the chicken well and pat dry. Set it breast side up into a lightly greased Dutch Oven with a tight fitting lid. Generously salt and pepper the chicken cavity. Add the chunked lemon and onion mixture to the cavity, stuffing it full. Now, use your finger tips to gently pull the skin away from the breast without tearing it. Stuff the herb paste between the skin and the breast, spreading it evenly on both sides. Brush the chicken with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper it generously. Add the potato wedges, sun dried tomato slices, olives, parsley, and oregano mixture around the chicken in the pan. Place the lemon slices on top. Pour the cup of dry white wine over the bird and vegetables.

3. Fit the Dutch Oven with its lid and bake the chicken at 425 degrees for one hour. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and bake for one more hour, basting every 20 minutes. The thickest part of the chicken breast should register at 180 degrees when the meat is done. Remove the vegetables to a serving dish and keep warm in the oven. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, carve the chicken and serve with the sauce that is left in the Dutch Oven after cooking.

Note: I believe this would be delicious with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which would also be a bit leaner and would take less time. Omit the herb paste and cavity stuffing. Combine 4 local, free-range boneless, skinless chicken breasts with the potato/vegetable mixture in the Dutch Oven. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, basting every 20 minutes. I haven’t tried this yet, but in my head, this would work.

For the Greek Salad:

4 cups of mixed mesculin greens, roughly chopped (Or a head of local romaine, chopped)
Two handfuls of organic cherry tomatoes
1 cup of drained, pitted kalamata olives
½ cup of crumbled goat feta (mine is from Integration Acres in Athens)
Greek Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe follows)

1. In a large salad bowl, toss together the greens, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and goat feta.

2. In a mason jar, shake together ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 TBS. lemon juice, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 TBS. dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried basil, ¼ tsp. salt, a dash of black pepper and ¼ tsp. garlic powder. Dress the salad, toss and serve.

Note: When in season, a nice addition might be diced cucumber, or slivered red onions.

Really, this was just superb. The chicken was fall off the bone tender, juicy and absolutely permeated with the flavors in this dish. It was a triumph. Enjoy, and always remember to buy local.