Recipe: Felice's Lemon Chicken (Iaddina ca' lumia ri Fulici, Italian)

FELICE'S LEMON CHICKEN
(IADDINA CA' LUMIA RI FULICI)

"My father Felice Bellia would barbecue this over charcoal in the summer, and bake it in the oven in the winter. The winter version has a sauce, but the summer variety is just as delicious."

2 chickens
water (for soaking chicken)
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup water

Soak the chickens in water to cover and the coarse salt for 30 minutes. Rinse them well, cut them into serving pieces, dry them with paper towels, and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Crush the garlic cloves, remove the skin, and add to the marinade in the jar, and shake vigorously to blend.

Place a layer of the chicken pieces in a glass bowl, spoon the marinade on top, and continue until all the chicken is used up. Pour leftover marinade on top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, place on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour the marinade into a saucepan and boil for a few minutes.

Bake the chicken for 1 1/4 hours or until browned. Brush the chicken with marinade as it bakes, and add the remaining marinade to the pan juices after the chicken is done.

Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over 2 burners. Turn on the burners on medium heat. Add the lemon slices to the marinade in the pan, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water to deglaze the pan, stir, bring back to the boil, and turn off the heat.

TO SERVE:
Place the chicken on a platter in a single layer, top with the lemon slices, being careful not to break them, and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Delicious both hot or at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 servings
Source: Sicilian Feasts by Giovanna Bellia La Marca