Spartan Chicken
Who doesn't love a delicious, comforting chicken dish, especially one that's got the word Sparta in it! A feast for everyday heroes to be sure, this recipe is from Season 1 of My Greek Table. To find some of the artisanal Greek products you'll need to make this, visit my online shop, where you'll discover a host of lovingly curated Greek ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 4- pound / 1.9 kilo chicken washed and quartered or 4 pounds pre-cut chicken parts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Greek olive oil for frying
- 3 large red onions finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 large firm, ripe tomatoes, grated
- ½ to ¾ cup water
- 2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
- ¾ pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or more, to taste
- ¼ pound / 125 g feta cheese crumbled
- 1 pound Greek or other egg or whole wheat noodles
Instructions
- Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium flame. Sear the chicken, in batches if necessary, turning with kitchen tongs to brown. Remove and set aside.
- Skim the excess rendered chicken fat from the skillet.
- Place onions in the skillet and cook over medium heat until translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic.
- Add browned chicken back to pan. Pour tomatoes over mixture and add ½ cup wine or water.
- Cover and simmer for 35 - 40 minutes over medium to low heat, until chicken is almost cooked and sauce and pan juices are reduced and thickened.
- While the chicken is simmering, bring a large pot of cold water to a rolling boil, salt generously, and cook the noodles. Strain and stir gently with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside, covered, to keep warm.
- About ten minutes before removing the chicken from heat, add the oregano, olives and vinegar. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper, but judiciously since the feta will also add saltiness to the final dish.
- Sprinkle or strew the feta over the chicken and sauce. Simmer another 5 to 8 minutes, until cheese has melted. Serve hot over Greek-style noodles.
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