I was going to make pasta for dinner tonight.  With a parmesan cream sauce.  Using some of the garlic confit I made this morning.

Then I thought, Um, since I used the recipe for the Confit from Michael Psilakis’ Cookbook , shouldn’t I actually use it in a recipe from his cookbook too??

Besides, I had chicken to use up.

I looked up Garlic Confit in the index at the back of the cookbook, thinking it’d list all the recipes I could use the confit in.  Nope.  So I looked up Chicken instead.  The Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon Potatoes looked good.  I had the right ingredients on hand and – YIPEE – it uses the confit!

You fry chicken, skin side down, flip it for a few minutes, flip it back and shove the pan in the oven.  Meanwhile you boil potatoes, slice them, put them aside.  Then you sauté some red peppers in a pan, add the potatoes, some lemon slices & oregano and cook until crispy.  Unfortunately, the pan I *thought* was big enough for the potato concoction wasn’t.  Quick thinking ensued:  I put the chicken onto a baking sheet and shoved THAT into the oven.  I used the big pan to cook the peppers & potatoes & lemons.  Then you take the veg out, deglaze the pan by adding GARLIC CONFIT, lemon juice, water, salt & pepper and scraping the browned bits up.  You taste the sauce and add more of whatever it needs.  Veg back in, toss in sauce, lay out on a platter, top with chicken and serve!

Well – the chicken splattered A LOT….  I mean a *LOT* a lot.  A L.O.T. lot.  I had to quick throw the kids outta the kitchen and barricade it so they couldn’t accidentally get burned by the splattering oil.  Blech.

Oh, and I totally followed the recipe and let the potatoes boil for 3-4min, until they were ‘crisp tender’ – which I took to mean they could easily be pierced with a knife.

They needed to cook longer.  C wouldn’t eat them.

He did, however, ask me if the recipe was easy and when I can make it again.  And – high praise – the BABIES ate it too.  They don’t usually care for chicken, actually, J will eat most anything you put in front of him.  R has become picky.  The two of them split a chicken thigh and 3 potato slices.  They refused to taste the pepper, which was fine with me because I really liked it.

It was relatively quick and easy – minus the clean-up time.

I think I’ll make this again.  OH!!  Before I forget, the garlic infused oil from the confit replaced all the regular oil I was supposed to use in the recipe.  I couldn’t really taste an overly-garlicky presence to the meal, but it was really delicious.  Yahooooooo!

 

Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemon Potatoes by Michael Psilakis from How To Roast A Lamb.

Printable Recipe HERE

Dairy-FREE, Gluten-FREE

Ingredients:

1 Chicken, about 3 1/2 lbs, cut into pieces.

Brine and Marinade – if using. Kosher chickens come brined, so I skipped this step.

1 lb. Fingerling Potatoes, scrubbed  **I think I used large potatoes cut into small pieces.

Salt/Pepper

1-2 teaspoons oil **I used Garlic Confit Oil, but use what you have on hand. Psilakis recommends a mix of 90% Canola and 10% Olive oils.

3 Red Bell Peppers, cored, seeded and thickly sliced.

1 teaspoon dry Oregano, Greek is preferred, naturally!

1/2 Lemon, sliced

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Water

1 Tablespoon puree’d Garlic from the Garlic Confit – Option #2: Cold, unsalted Butter/Butter-flavored Margarine

Small handful of torn Fresh Herbs, such as Dill, Mint or Parsley

BRINE (if using):

1 Quart Cold Water

1/4 cup Kosher Salt

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

1 cup Distilled White Vinegar

MARINADE:

1 cup Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic, smashed and chopped

3-4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1 Fresh Bay Leaf (=2 dried)

2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

2 Shallots, sliced

Salt/Pepper

How To:

1- If using Brine – brine your chicken overnight then rinse with cool water and pat dry. If not, go straight to the Marinating bit.

2- Marinate your meat: Combine all the marinade ingredients (I did this in a large ziploc. Feel free to use anything with a lid or that you can cover in plastic wrap). Add the chicken pieces and seal. Let marinate at least 4 hours or overnight – depending on your time frame/patience….

3- Bring the chicken to room temperature. Meanwhile, put the potatoes into a small pot of liberally salted cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well and slice 1/2 inch thick. Reserve.

4- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lift the chicken pieces from the marinade, allowing the liquid to drain away. Season the skin with a little kosher salt and pepper. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, heat a thin film of blended oil over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the chicken halves skin-side down and don’t move them at all until you get a nice golden sear, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over and cook for 2 minutes more. Spoon off some of the fat and turn the chicken pieces skin-side down once again. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

5- Meanwhile, in a second pan, heat a thin film of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the peppers and sauté until softened. Add the potatoes, lemon slices, and oregano and continue to sauté until golden brown.

6- Transfer the chicken to absorbent paper, on a platter, skin-side up. Keep warm, uncovered, in the turned-off oven. Discard most of the fat from the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Deglaze the pan with the lemon juice and water. Stir in the Garlic Purée or butter/Margarine and lemon slices and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables and pan juices to a large platter and place the chicken on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and scatter with the fresh herbs.

After you’re done wiping down the splatters, you can start clapping. Loudly.