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Roasted Half Chicken with figs
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Roasted Half Chicken with Figs

If you’re like me, you love a great roasted chicken recipe. For me, of course, when it’s a Greek roasted chicken recipe, packed with Greek herbs and an ancient Greek diet ingredient – figs – then all the better! The Mediterranean diet and Greek diet (pretty much the same thing) when manifested in their most traditional spirit, suggest the consumption of animal protein on a limited basis, say once a week. This recipe can be a midweek treat or a Sunday roast. The extra virgin Greek olive oil, petimezi, sea salt, Greek garlic puree, and Greek dried oregano and thyme impart timeless deliciousness!
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 roasting chicken preferably organic, about 2 pounds, cut into serving pieces
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin Greek olive oil plus more as needed
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 large oranges juiced
  • 3 teaspoons garlic puree or 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried Greek thyme
  • 2 tablespoons petimezi
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • 8 stewing or cippolini onions
  • 2 large Yukon gold or other roasting potatoes preferably organic
  • 3 large ripe figs quartered, or 6 dried, preferably Greek, figs, plumped in water and halved
  • Fresh parsley snipped for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
  • Whisk together the quarter cup of olive oil, sea salt, pepper, orange juice, garlic puree, dried oregano and thyme, petimezi, and wine.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large preferably cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onions to the pan and cook them for 10 minutes or so, stirring gently, to brown lightly. Remove the onions and set aside.
  • Add a little more olive oil to the pan if necessary and heat over medium high flame. Place the chicken in the pan and sear, turning with kitchen tongs to brown on all sides. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place the onions back in the pan around the chicken. Pour half the marinade over and around the chicken.
  • Toss the potatoes with the remaining half of the olive oil-orange juice marinade and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes and their marinating liquid in the pan, nestled between the onions and chicken.
  • Cover with parchment and aluminum foil or with the pan cover and transfer to the oven. Roast for about 55 minutes, adding a little more wine or some water if necessary to keep the meat and potatoes moist. About 10 minutes before removing from the oven, very gently stir in the fig wedges. If using plumped dried figs, add them earlier, together with their soaking liquid, about halfway through roasting.
  • Remove, sprinkle with a little fresh parsley and serve.

Notes

NOTE: If you don’t’ have a large deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, any good flameproof casserole dish may be used.
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