Recipe: Roast Chicken with Tomato-Olive Sauce

ROAST CHICKEN WITH TOMATO-OLIVE SAUCE

1 (3 1/2-pound) roasting chicken
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup green olives, pitted
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives,* pitted
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove giblets from chicken; rinse the chicken and pat dry. Put on a rack in a roasting pan and brush with butter. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees in the thigh on an instant-read thermometer. Baste the chicken occasionally with the drippings.

WHILE THE CHICKEN IS COOKING, PREPARE THE SAUCE:
Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add tomatoes and remove from the heat; set aside 30 to 60 seconds or until skins begin to crack; drain. Peel, seed and coarsely chop tomatoes.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, basil, fennel seeds, wine, green and black olives. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Season sauce with lots of pepper. (Additional salt may not be necessary because of the saltiness of the olives.) Stir in parsley.

Carve chicken and serve with a bowl of sauce on the side.

*The more readily available Kalamata olives can be substituted for the oil-cured olives.

Servings: 4-5
Source: Bistro by Patricia Wells