This recipe is one of my Aunt Sarah’s favorite dishes to serve for Sunday suppers. It’s a simple recipe and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand. It’s a good way to use up a bottle of leftover white wine. The recipe requires browning the vegetables before roasting them alongside the chicken. Browning the vegetables adds so much more flavor to the dish. It requires a little more effort to make than most roast chicken recipes but well worth it. The great thing about this dish is it’s a meal in one – you don’t have to make anything else to serve with it except a salad and some bread to sop up the delicious juices.
ROASTED ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE
(Gaddina Arrustutu cu Rosamarino/Pollo Arrosto con Rosamarino)
Difficulty Rating: Easy
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (5 to 6-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, backbone and wing tips removed
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes (about 1 ½-pounds), quartered lengthwise
3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces and halved
1 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup dry white wine
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully swirl it a few times to combine the butter and oil. Coat the chicken pieces all over with the butter/oil mixture and place skin side down in the pan. Scatter the garlic slices along the bottom of the pan. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the potatoes and carrots, in 2 batches, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion to the hot skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the oven and turn each piece over (skin side up). Arrange the potatoes, carrots, and onion, alongside the chicken, in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and scatter the rosemary on top. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan. Place in oven and roast for 25 minutes, basting with pan juices twice during cooking. If you wish your chicken to be more browned on top, turn the oven to broil the last 5 minutes of cooking. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn. Transfer the chicken and vegetables onto a platter. Season the pan juices, with additional salt if necessary, and serve with the chicken.
