Grilled Chicken and Pasta

This is an extraordinary way to elevate a humble chicken with two basic starting points: the reliably sunny flavours of traditional Greek cooking and a simple cooking method thats stood the test of time. No mythology here, though. Just addictive flavor. This is how you stretch a chicken to serve up to 8 hungry mouths

From Family Meals: 100 Easy Everyday Recipes by Michael Smith. Copyright Michael Smith, 2014. Reprinted by permission of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Photography credit: Ryan Szulc.
Directions for: Greek Chicken

Ingredients

6 - 8 large baking potatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (enough to fill your roasting pan)

2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

4 heads garlic

2 lemons

1 large (5 lbs/2.25 kg or so) roasting chicken

1 big bunch fresh oregano, half whole, half chopped

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

lots of freshly ground pepper

1 cup (250 mL) water

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).

2. Toss the potatoes with oil and spread evenly in your roasting pan. Using a serrated knife, trim the top third off each head of garlic, exposing the cloves within. Nestle the garlic heads cut side up into the corners of the roasting pan. Zest the lemons, reserving the zest, and cut the lemons in half. Stuff them into the chicken along with the whole oregano sprigs. Season the chicken and the potatoes with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the pan. Place the chicken on the potatoes and into the oven.

3. Roast for 2 hours or so, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is deliciously golden brown. A thermometer inserted in the thick thigh should read at least 165F (75C).

4. Remove the chicken to a plate to rest for a few minutes. Carefully squeeze the soft garlic heads over the roasted potatoes. Sprinkle with the chopped oregano and reserved lemon zest, and stir in the green onions. Pour any juices from the chicken plate over the works and rest the bird on the spuds while you carve, serve and share!

See more: Chicken, Dinner, Greek, Herbs, Main, Potatoes, Roast