Ingredients:

  • 1 five – 6 pound roasting chicken, cut up
  • 2 fresh lemons – one sliced thin, one juiced for about 1 1/2 tablespoons of juice
  • 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio or similarly crisp white wine
  • 1/4 cup Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil (A Manzanillo is lovely!)
  • 8 cloves of garlic sliced in half
  • 1 2-3″ sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup pitted olives, such as Kalamata, Picholine, and or Gordal
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. Wash the chicken and pat dry.
  3. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
  4. Arrange the chicken in single layer in a large roasting pan with the larger pieces on the outside and smaller pieces in.
  5. In a blender or food processor, add the wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper, one garlic clove, and olive oil.
  6. Blend until smooth.
  7. Pour the liquid over the chicken in the pan, making sure to drizzle over each piece of chicken.
  8. Arrange the sliced garlic, lemon slices and olives around the chicken pieces.
  9. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and additional pepper if desired.
  10. Roast for 30-35 minutes until chicken is golden brown or until a digital thermometer inserted in to the middle of the thickest piece of chicken registers 165 degrees.
  11. Optionally, separate the fat from the pan juice, reserving the garlic and olives for plating. Reduce by half in a small pan over medium heat.
  12. Plate the chicken over polenta, rice, or mashed potatoes drizzled with the pan reduction, reserved garlic and olives.

Re-posted from the Veronica Foods blog.