Chicken with Potatoes in the Oven (Sunday Roast)
1985, Lefkara. I'm sitting with my beloved grandfather Kostaris under the big fig tree in the garden, watching my grandmother take the large pan of crispy roasted chicken out of the wood-fired oven. It's almost noon, and the yard of the Turkish Cypriot house where my grandparents live after the invasion is already filled with cousins and other relatives. Voices, laughter, commotion, the usual family pandemonium. Grandma brings the pan with her fragrant chicken and places it in the center of the large table. The voices stop, and the whole clan dives headfirst into the food to enjoy the crispy chicken skin, the crunchy potato tops, the juicy roasted tomatoes, and the rosy-red onions. Oh, my grandma, what I wouldn't give to eat this food made by your own hands again... Just like back then in your yard in Lefkara.
INGREDIENTS
- • --- 1 chicken, about 1600g, cut into portions
- • --- 1 kg Cypriot potatoes
- • --- 5 small (300g) red onions
- • --- 2 medium (500g) tomatoes
- • --- 1 ½ teaspoon (12g) salt
- • --- ½ teaspoon (1g) freshly ground black pepper
- • --- 1 ½ teaspoon (3g) ground artythia (cumin)
- • --- ⅓ cup (85ml) olive oil
- • --- 3 - 4 cloves garlic
- • --- 5 - 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- • --- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh oregano
- • --- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- • --- ½ cup (125ml) water
METHOD
- 1. Peel the potatoes and, depending on their size, cut them in half or into 4 pieces. Cut the onions in half and the tomatoes into thick slices to prevent them from burning during baking. In a small bowl, mix the salt, black pepper, and artythia. Place the chicken in a bowl and pour half of the olive oil over it. Rub it in to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle both sides with half of the salt and spices. Place the chicken in a large 36 cm baking pan. Put the potatoes in the bowl, drizzle them with the remaining olive oil, and sprinkle with the remaining salt and spices. Then arrange the potatoes evenly in the pan.
- 2. Add the tomatoes and onion to the bowl. Mix to marinate them with any oil and spices left in the bowl. If needed, add extra olive oil, salt, and spices. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic to the pan. Scatter the sprigs of thyme and oregano here and there. Pour the lemon juice over the food. Pour the water into one corner of the pan, being careful not to wash the spices off the chicken.
- 3. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan-assisted) for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until the food is well browned. During baking, do not cover the pan or turn the food. If necessary, move the potatoes around a bit to brown evenly.
