Recipe: Greek Roasted Chicken

Greek Roasted Chicken
rec.food.recipes/Linda/Tennessee/2001

Roasting at two oven temperatures gives chicken a crispy outside, and a moist inside.

5 lb roasting chicken, skinless
1 lemon, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
12 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano, plus 3 Tbsp dried oregano
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cracked black pepper
6 boiling potatoes, wedged and chunked
1 cup water or 1/2 cup low fat chicken broth as needed
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Consider placing sliced root vegetables (carrots, turnips) and onions in the bottom of the roasting pan that will take the place of a rack and add flavors.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub chicken inside and out with cut lemon quarters, 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper. Place the lemon quarters, 4 garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons oregano in the chicken cavity. Place chicken on rack in a roasting pan.

In a small saucepan, combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons oregano, coarsely cracked pepper and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat

Place potatoes and the remaining 8 garlic cloves around the chicken and sprinkle them with remaining 1 tablespoon oregano. Spoon a little of the lemon-oil mixture over the chicken. Pour 1 cup water or broth evenly over potatoes and place in oven.

Roast at 400 degrees 15 minutes.

Baste chicken with some of the lemon-oil mixture and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Roast, basting with lemon-oil mixture every 10-15 minutes, until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh, not touching bone, reads 180 degrees, about 1 1/4 hours.

Transfer chicken to a warmed platter. If potatoes aren't golden, raise heat to 450 degrees and cook potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more water or broth if necessary to prevent sticking. Garnish with parsley.