Chickens
By Cat, September 2016 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
I’m always on the lookout for quick and flavorful baked or roasted chicken recipes, and Mediterranean flavors are high on my favorites list. I found this one in our local newspaper. This is a fairly quick and easy recipe, perfect for a cool fall evening when using your oven helps to heat the house.
See also: 1. Poultry and Fowl Menu; 2. Mediterranean Menu
Baked Chicken, Tuscany Style
I’ve adapted this recipe from one in the Daily Inter Lake, originally by Marge Perry for a Special to Newsday. The original recipe uses all chicken thighs, but you can use any mix of breasts, thighs, drumsticks or wings. 2 pounds of bone-in thighs serves 4 – 6.
Ingredients & Equipment
- 1½ – 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs or mix of chicken pieces; brining is recommended, especially for breasts
- 3 or more cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ tsp unrefined sea salt, divided (use less if you brined the chicken)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling baking pan
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- Equipment
- baking sheet or jelly-roll pan
- large bowl
Method
- Brine chicken pieces (1 – 1½ hours), or just the breasts for 1 hour, then rinse and pat dry with paper towel.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Oil/grease the baking sheet/pan with olive oil or lard.
- Prep: mince garlic, sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, then press the garlic with side of knife blade to release the juices. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, mustard and pepper, and mix well.
- Add chicken pieces and toss to coat with the herb mixture.
- Bake: Transfer pieces to prepared pan, allowing plenty of room between pieces, and bake in preheated oven until done, about 35 minutes (thermometer placed in thickest part of breast should read 160°F, and in thigh should read 175 – 180°F).
Testing
7/8/18: Used half-chicken (1 leg, wing and half-breast cut in half), 28 oz in weight, brined. Made as written using dried herbs. Baked at 375°F in oiled 8″ square pyrex pan which is large enough to leave a little space between each piece. Into oven at 5:20 PM; turned over at 5:45 PM. Got distracted so not out of oven until 6:30. Well done but not overdone. Result: So easy to make. Delicious, but next time, check after 35 -45 min!
2/3/19: Made l chicken (1 leg, wing and half-breast cut in half), brined. Baked on oiled baking sheet in 375°F. Into oven at 3:05 PM; tested at 3:40; not done yet. Did not turn over; tested again at 3:50; still not up to temp. at 4 PM, wing and drumstick had reached 160° but thigh and breast only 140°. Removed wing and drumstick (55 min); raised oven to 400°F and tested again at 4:10. Smaller breast piece had reached 160° (65 min), drumstick about 170°, thigh and larger breast piece only about 150°. Removed all. Served small breast piece, wing and part of drumstick tonite, and put remaining pieces in fridge for another meal – hopefully reheating them will get them to done. Result: very good flavor, but bummer they took so long to reach temperature. Next time: use 8″ pyrex pan and use smaller chicken.
References:
- Daily Inter Lake, originally by Marge Perry for a Special to Newsday
