02.19.11: dinner (roast chicken, Greek-style)

I guess we have several running jokes around here, but my favorite is probably my love of chicken roasting. As in,

Elizabeth: What do you want to make tonight?

Michael: I could roast a chicken…

Sometimes I just say it because I don’t want to think of what we’re having and if she says yes then so much the better, win-win-win. Lately I’d been rubbing the bird with some kind of chili or chipotle and shredding it into tortillas, so this time we looked for something still simple but decidedly different. Enter The Silver Spoon which is a tome of no (too) intensive variations on a common theme.

Chicken resting on a roasting rack

We selected a Greek-style preparation, which was a simple marinade of the bird with lemon, fresh oregano and S&P for a few hours. Nothing simpler. It sounds insufficient to produce a tasty, distinctive product, but honestly, it was enough. The final product did not explode with flavor, but it was subtle and delicious. I started with the more expensive Kosher bird, but in my estimation, this is almost always worth the extra money.

We had this as a second course following a Mario Batali pasta dish, so suffice to say there was lots left over. Intrepid as ever, Elizabeth suggested using the surplus (both breasts) in an authentic Mexican enchilada dish the following evening, but that’s another post. Until then, readers, remember that it doesn’t take much to move a mundane staple from repetitive and sad to new and exciting. More on this soon; until then, readers, cook on!

[Ed. - Michael explains the recipe in the comments.]