marinated chicken alla griglia.

I have a soft spot for a beautifully roasted chicken.  There is something about the simplicity of the dish – in my mind you really only need salt, pepper, a little olive oil, and tons of garlic to roast around it (few things are better then roasted garlic on fresh bread) to make a perfect chicken.  On occasion, I desire a little more then the simplest version of roast chicken, which is where this recipe comes into play.  This is the lazy man’s version of the most delicious chicken.  The marinade is the world’s easiest thing to make! Then you put the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate it overnight and the next day it’s ready to cook!  (It surprises me sometimes how wonderful a recipe can be with very little labor involved.)  The chicken that emerges from the oven is beautiful.  It’s moist and lemony with a spicy herby kick to it.  I love it right out of the oven and serving it with a salad and some crusty bread for a super easy weeknight meal. 

Marinated Chicken alla Griglia

Recipe adapted from Urban Italian by Andrew Carmellini

Serves 4 with leftovers

4 cloves of garlic minced

½ cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar (I used a combination of both)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup grapeseed or corn oil

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

1 lemon thinly sliced

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1 tablespoon honey or sugar (Mike’s Hot Honey is good here!)

1 Four pound chicken cut into 8 pieces (or you can use just chicken breasts or thighs)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken in a large bowl (large enough to hold the chicken) and mix well. Place the chicken in the marinade, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

Remove the chicken from the marinade (don’t wipe the herbs off!).  Season with additional salt and pepper. 

Turn the oven on to broil (or to the highest it will go if you don’t have a broiler).  Place the chickens on a roasting rack and broil them until the skins are crisp, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 425 degrees and bake the chicken until the juice runs clear when you stick a leg with a knife, about 20 minutes.   Leftovers make wonderful chicken salad sandwiches! (This can also be done on the grill and should take about 20 minutes as well!)