Mediterranean Chicken
Recipe and photo reprinted with permission by Chef Dawn Viola
Dawn Viola of "Wicked Good Dinner" is an award-winning chef and food-writer. She recently won the 2009 Crisco National Apple Pie Championship (professional division) for her wonderful Vanilla Vanilla-Bean Roasted Apple Pie. Dawn has also appeared on Food Network, Fox News, Martha Stewart Radio, Cooking with Emeril and has been featured in Desserts Magazine.
She has graciously agreed to be a contributor to my website and I'm thrilled! Her recipes are original and always use high quality and fresh seasonal ingredients. Thank you Dawn!
Method: Roasting
Allergy Info: Soy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 Chicken legs with thighs
- 20 Kalamata olives, pitted, chopped - you can use all of one kind, or a mixture
- 2 Lemons, zested, then sliced, skin and pith removed
- 2 Roasted red peppers, chopped
- 12 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Fresh rosemary leaves (about 2 branches)
- 1/2 cup Apricot preserves
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt (plus more to taste)
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place chicken in a large roasting pan, without overlapping. Loosen the chicken skin with your fingers, without completely separating the skin from the chicken, creating an air pocket between the meat and skin.
Create the stuffing:
In a separate bowl, mix the olives, lemon zest, lemon slices, roasted peppers, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, and apricot preserves. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and stir. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Add red pepper flakes to taste.
Divide the stuffing mixture into 6 parts and stuff under the chicken skin, covering as much surface area of the meat as possible. Rub any remaining mixture over the top of the chicken.
Sprinkle the top of each chicken leg with sea salt.
Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. Allow to rest for 10 minutes -- the chicken will come up to 165 degrees.
Chef's Notes:
Serve with couscous and honey glazed carrots with local orange blossom honey.
This recipe is also great with chicken wings and drummettes. Chop ingredients slightly smaller, about 1/4" pieces, and smother the wings and drummettes in the stuffing instead of placing it under the skin, then bake for 25 minutes.
