Perfectly Roasted Italian-Inspired Chicken and Potatoes
A whole roast chicken and gravy is one of those meals that never seems to disappoint. Eaten all year round, the flavours (and garnishes) can be adjusted to suit the season – for lighter, fresh summer results, or deeper, more flavoursome, comforting accompaniments for the colder months. This recipe for Roast Chicken with Vermouth and Oregano was created with the festive season in mind, inspired by popular ingredients in Italy, with a good helping of Italian vermouth (and a tipple on the side as you cook).
The Magic of an Overnight-Marinated Roast Chicken
This is a very simple one-tray dish that gets most of its flavour from an overnight marinade, a step that’s essential for achieving the full magic of the recipe. Below are the steps for making this wonderful roast, followed by the full recipe.
Marinate The Chicken Overnight
A simple marinade of salt, olive oil, sweet white vermouth and garlic is all that’s needed. It tenderises the meat and gives it a wonderful flavour. For best results, it’s best to marinate the chicken overnight, but if you are short on time, 2 – 4 hours will also give good results.
Vermouth Chicken Marinade
When ready to start cooking, rub the chicken clean of the crushed garlic. If you roast the chicken with the garlic still on the skin, it will quickly burn, leaving an unpleasant appearance and a bitter taste. Next, strain the vermouth and oil marinade through a sieve and discard the remaining garlic.
Perfect Roasted Potatoes
Chop the potatoes into large chunks or thick wedges and use the strained vermouth oil to coat them for roasting. Sprinkle with salt and toss them around the pan.
One-Pan Roast Chicken and Potatoes
Place the chicken in the centre of the potatoes, making sure the potatoes nestle nicely around the bird. As it roasts, all the delicious juices will combine with the vermouth and oil to produce very soft potatoes in the centre but crispy on the outside.
Let the Chicken Rest
Remove the potatoes from the pan, transfer to a bowl, cover with aluminium foil and keep warm in the oven. Leave the chicken to rest in the roasting tin for 20 minutes to allow the juices to run out.
Vermouth, Lemon, Mustard and Oregano Chicken Gravy Sauce
After resting, transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Add more vermouth to the roasting tray and scrape up all the fat and juices from the chicken. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan with the chicken stock, lemon and mustard, season with salt, pepper and bring to the boil for a few minutes to thicken.
To finish: Arrange the potatoes around the chicken and spoon the vermouth and oregano sauce evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Serve with extra fresh oregano leaves and lemon slices.
Recipe: Roast Chicken with Vermouth and Oregano
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Roast Chicken with Vermouth and Oregano
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 1kg roasting potatoes skin on
Chicken Marinade
- 100ml sweet vermouth
- 60ml olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- Sea salt flakes
- Vermouth Oregano Chicken Sauce
- 150ml sweet white vermouth
- 150ml chicken stock
- 1 heaped tsp seeded or Dijon mustard
- large handful fresh oregano leaves
- Squeeze of lemon juice + lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Combine vermouth, olive oil and crushed garlic. Pour and rub over the whole chicken, then season each side of the chicken with salt and let it sit in the marinade overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours. If you have time, occasionally baste the chicken in the marinade every few hours.
- Prepare to roast: Remove the chicken from the fridge. Scrape off all the crushed garlic pieces touching the chicken skin and discard (garlic burns very quickly in the oven and will leave dark and bitter pieces if roasted from the start).
- Next, strain the leftover vermouth oil from marinating and discard any extra garlic pieces. Keep oil aside.
- Heat oven to 200°C
- Chop the potatoes into large chunks or wedges. Transfer to a roasting tin. Pour over vermouth oil, season with sea salt flakes and toss around the pan to combine.
- Place the chicken into the middle of the roasting pan and gather potatoes around the chicken.
- Roast for 50 minutes – 1 hour depending on the size of your bird. Halfway through roasting, remove the pan from the oven, toss potatoes around the pan juices and fat and continue cooking.
- When the chicken is ready, transfer the potatoes to a bowl, cover them with foil and keep warm. Let the chicken rest in the roasting tin for 20 minutes to release its juices.
- Make the vermouth oregano sauce: After resting, transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Add 150ml vermouth to the roasting tray and scrape up all the chicken fat and juices. Transfer the liquid to a small pan along with the chicken stock and mustard. Bring to a boil then turn to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat, squeeze in some lemon juice, sprinkle with sea salt and the remaining oregano leaves.
- Finishing the dish: Layer the warm potatoes around the chicken, then spoon the vermouth oregano sauce evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Garnish with the remaining fresh oregano leaves and lemon wedges.