Roast Chicken with Tomatoes, Potatoes and Olives
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 10 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons sliced thin
- 4 chicken legs and thighs
- 2 pounds new potatoes
- 8 plum tomatoes
- 20 Kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450º F.
- Use some spray olive oil to coat the roasting pan lightly.
- Using the flat of your chef knife or a mortar and pestle, mash 4 garlic cloves with salt into a paste.
- Whisk the garlic paste together with lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a lightly oiled shallow baking pan, make 4 beds with overlapping lemon slices. On each bed, place a chicken breast half, skin side up. Brush each piece of chicken with a bit of the garlic-lemon mixture, reserving about half for later, and season very lightly with salt and pepper.
- Quarter potatoes and toss with tomatoes, remaining 6 garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon olive oil until well coated. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Arrange vegetables around chicken and add olives and rosemary.
- Roast chicken and vegetables for 15 minutes, then brush with remaining garlic-lemon mixture, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes until chicken is done. The internal temperature should be 162º F.
- Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest for several minutes, until the internal temperature reads 165º F.
- Discard lemon slices and serve chicken with vegetables, spooning pan juices over them.
Notes
To get a bit fancier, pour off the pan juices and reserve. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the roasting pan. On the stove top over medium-high heat, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour and cook, stirring for two-three minutes.
Return the reserved pan juices to the pan and heat, stirring, until slightly thickened.
Now you have a nice pan sauce to pass at the table or to spoon over the meat before serving.
Delicious.