Greg and I just got back from a family trip to Ireland and Italy with our Moms. I feel so fortunate to’ve spent time with them, visiting other countries and building memories together. As you may imagine, we had some fantastic meals in Italy. Stay tuned for my first-ever eBook featuring photos, stories, and recipes from Tuscany.
In the meantime, here is a recipe that represents the best qualities of Italian fare, simplicity and delicious flavor. This no-fuss technique results in a surprisingly perfect roasted chicken. It comes from Jonathan Waxman’s book, Italian My Way. Ask the butcher to butterfly the chicken, removing the backbone and breast bone.
Chicken al Forno with Salsa Verde
4 servings
Ingredients
for the chicken
One 4-pound chicken, butterflied
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 lemons, halved
for the salsa verde
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped arugula
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped tarragon
1/4 cup chopped sage
1/4 cup snipped chives
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Set the chicken skin side up in a roasting pan and drizzle with the oil; add the lemon halves to the pan and roast for 40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until just cooked through.
2. Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. In a food processor, pulse the capers with the anchovies and garlic until finely chopped. Add all of the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine. Season with salt. Serve the chicken with the salsa verde and the roasted lemon.
Leave a Reply