Recipe: Roasted Chicken with Pine Nut Potatoes and Salsa Verde

Roasted Chicken with Pine Nut Potatoes and Salsa Verde
Recipe Source:Chefs Anne and David Gingrass
Makes four servings

for the roasted chicken
1 Free range or roasting chicken (about 4.5 to 5 lbs.)
1 Medium yellow onion
1 head Fresh garlic
1 stalk Celery
1/2 Orange
all Stems from the parsley
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
to taste Salt and black pepper

for the salsa verde
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped very fine (about one large bunch)
1 clove Fresh garlic, peeled and minced fine
2 Fresh shallots, peeled and minced fine
2 Anchovy filets, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. Capers, drained and minced fine
1/2 cup Virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Sherry wine vinegar
to taste Salt and black pepper

for the pine nut potatoes
1 Lb. Small, thin skinned potatoes (red B or fingerling type)
1/3 cup Pine nuts, chopped fine, almost like being ground
1 tsp. Fresh thyme leaves, chopped medium
1/2 tsp. Fresh rosemary leaves, chopped medium
3 cloves Fresh garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup Olive oil

for the roasted chicken:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the chicken and remove any giblets or other treats from the cavity. They will not be used in this recipe but all but the liver go well in chicken stock. Drain any liquid out and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the orange in half. Cut the garlic bulb in half across the equator. Peel the onion and wash the celery and parsley stems. Roughly chop all three and combine in a bowl with the orange and garlic. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper and toss together then stuff all into the cavity of the chicken. Using a bamboo skewer, sew the opening to the cavity closed. Brush or rub the olive oil over the skin and sprinkle the entire skin with salt and pepper. Place the chicken into a roasting pan or casserole and into the oven. Roast for one hour and 15 minutes or until the juices from piercing the leg run clear. Allow to rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.

for the salsa verde:
This sauce can be made up to one day in advance and stored, covered tightly, in the refrigerator. All of the ingredients should be minced very finely and combined in a mixing bowl. Add a pinch each of salt and pepper to the bowl then, sing a wire whisk, whisk in the olive oil followed by the vinegar. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste and add an additional drop of vinegar if desired. This sauce can be served in a sauce bowl to be passed around the table and is very good on vegetables and fish as well as the roasted chicken.

for the pine nut potatoes:
Wash the potatoes well and place them into a suitable pot. Cover them with water salt the water lightly. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cooked potatoes from the water and allow them to cool until cool enough to handle. When they have cooled, peel off the skin and quarter them. Reserve.

In a large skillet or casserole, heat the oil until hot but not smoking and add the garlic then reduce the heat to low. Add the pine nuts and cook slowly until the nuts and garlic are almost golden brown. Add the quartered potatoes and continue to cook to heat them through. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve warm. Now you are ready to assemble the dish.

Carve the chicken by removing both breasts from the bone then removing both thigh and leg quarters. Separate the thighs from the legs. Slice both breasts on a bias into five or six slices, the last slice having the wing attached. Arrange the chicken evenly around four warm plates and divide the potatoes between the plates. Spoon about one tablespoon of the salsa verde over the chicken and serve the remainder in a sauce bowl.