Winter demands both warmth and brightness, and nothing provides this better than classic home comforts with a twist. Here, the judicious use of citrus brings a new lease of life to roast chicken.
Chicken with potatoes, anchovy, rosemary and lemon
Serves 4
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 chicken – about 1.5kg – jointed into 8 pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 6 anchovy fillets
- A sprig of fresh rosemary
- A pinch of dried red chilli
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and black pepper
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm wedges
- 250ml dry white wine
1 Set the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. In an ovenproof frying pan or casserole large enough to accommodate the chicken and potatoes in a single layer, warm the olive oil and then brown the chicken on all sides, starting skin-side down. Once browned, lift the chicken on to a warm plate.
2 In the remaining oil and chicken fat (pour some away if you feel there is too much), gently fry the garlic and anchovies over a low heat, nudging them with a wooden spoon so they disintegrate into the fat. Add the rosemary – keeping the sprig whole for a gentler flavour, or chopping it for a stronger one. Add the chilli, lemon zest, salt and black pepper, and stir.
3 Add the potato wedges to the pan and stir again until each is glistening with the oil.
4 Return the chicken to the pan (it might be a squash, but the ingredients should all shrink during cooking). Pour over the wine and allow to bubble on the stove top for 10 minutes before putting the whole lot in the oven for 40-50 minutes, basting every 15 minutes or so and squeezing over some lemon juice during the last 10 minutes of cooking. By the end of it, the bottom of the chicken and potatoes should be tender, surrounded by lots of oily gravy, and the top golden.
Originally created from here.