Spiced roasted chicken with toasted orzo

Everyone loves a great roasted chicken, and orzo and chicken are a natural combination in the Greek kitchen.

Credit: My Greek Table

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

In the Greek diet and Mediterranean diet, roasted chicken is often a Sunday meal. But it’s also easy enough to prepare for a midweek feast, as I did as a thank you to a friend who walked me around my new Athens neighborhood, explaining its fascinating, multilayered history. The extra virgin Greek olive oil, spices, and Greek brandy are all Mediterranean diet ingredients that make this a classic Greek recipe delicious any time of the week or year. 

Ingredients

• 2 large capsicum (bell peppers), cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp (60 ml) extra virgin Greek olive oil
• 1 medium-sized roasting chicken (1.3-1.8kg /3-4 lb)
• ½ tsp ground cumin, or more to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup peeled and chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups white wine
• ⅓ cup Greek brandy
• 2 cups water
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• Toasted orzo with carrots, raisins and pine nuts, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to (230°C) (450°F).
2. Oil a medium to large baking dish, preferably glass or clay, with 1½  tablespoons olive oil. Wash the chicken well, pat it dry and place it on the baking dish. Rub the entire chicken with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken with cumin, salt, and pepper. 
3. Place the onions, capsicum, garlic and tomato, around the chicken. Top with cinnamon, white wine, Greek brandy, water and rosemary sprigs.
4. Place the baking dish, uncovered, in the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until it starts to brown. Reduce heat to 190°C (375°F) and cook for about another hour, or until fork tender and thoroughly cooked through.
5. Serve with cooked orzo.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

In the Greek diet and Mediterranean diet, roasted chicken is often a Sunday meal. But it’s also easy enough to prepare for a midweek feast, as I did as a thank you to a friend who walked me around my new Athens neighborhood, explaining its fascinating, multilayered history. The extra virgin Greek olive oil, spices, and Greek brandy are all Mediterranean diet ingredients that make this a classic Greek recipe delicious any time of the week or year.