Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes / 180 degrees
Portions: 4-5
Difficulty: medium
Price: 10-12 Euros
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes / 180 degrees
Portions: 4-5
Difficulty: medium
Price: 10-12 Euros
Does oven baked chicken remind you of all the Greek-family lunch gatherings on a Sunday? It is easy and has so many different variations. But in all its variations it is a dish that is so homey and filling. To be honest I do not know if it is a Greek thing or families in other countries also have it as a go-to option when family is coming over. You marinate the chicken simply with lemon and oil, or orange, add all kind of herbs, add wine, mustard, even bake it in milk. I started making this delicious chicken and potato dish marinating everything with honey, mustard, oil and lemon juice. The combination of the acid and sweetness of the thyme honey and hotness of the mustard create a perfect match. This is also a very nice salad dressing combination.
The secret in this dish is the baking. Not overbaking the chicken – you might need to cover it up at some point so it does not lose its juices. And baking the potatoes perfectly, making them crisp but tender in the inside. There are many ways of doing this, like boiling the potatoes first, but lets try the simplest one without a lot of fuss.
INGREDIENTS
1 whole free range chicken / 4 whole legs bone-in
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 lemons
4 large potatoes
fresh or dry rosemary
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION
First wash the whole chicken or legs under cold water. Tap it dry using paper towels and place it in your tray.
Peel the potatoes under running water and cut them in quarters depending on the size of each potato. You want the pieces to be of similar size so they all cook evenly.
Place them around the chicken in one layer adding some under the chicken. Cut the onions in half and add them also in the tray between the potatoes. They give a nice sweetness when they cook and soften, and the edges caramelize. Peel the garlic cloves and put them around the potatoes in different places adding one in the chicken cavity. You can also add half an onion, lemon wedges and some rosemary branches for flavor and infusing the chicken from the inside.
In an empty vase with a cup add the olive oil, mustard, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper and some rosemary and mix very well. Cover the chicken and potatoes with the marinade so everything is well covered. You can leave the tray covered in the fridge for a while or bake immediately. I have not seen a big difference by leaving the chicken sit with the marinade. Add a few rosemary branches, well washed, around your tray over the potatoes.
Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees with air if your oven has this option. When the oven is ready place the chicken. Check your tray every 15-20 minutes. When the chicken skin gets a dark golden-brown color (do not be scared it needs to look almost burnt so the skin is crispy) cover the chicken with aluminum foil and continue cooking for the remaining time. You might need to add some water to the tray if all the liquid from the marinate has evaporated half-way through. With a spatula mix the potatoes so they do not stick on the bottom of the tray and they get crispy all around and covered by the marinade.
After an hour- depending on the oven it might need a bit more- check if the potatoes are ready and nicely cooked and take the tray out of the oven. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes and carve the chicken. If you use just chicken legs turn them over when the skin on the top side has a nice color and cooked evenly.
TIP. This dish like many Greek recipes is best accompanied with feta cheese and a nice tomato salad or even a green lettuce or rucola salad.
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