A SERIES OF FORTUNATE EVENTS, MADE WITH LEMONS

Last week, we were with Hillary in LA, and she took us for lunch to a family-run Greek restaurant in Larchmont.  They served lemon-marinated potato wedges with the lunch, and it was amazing, so of course we decided to try and make some at home.  The recipe calls for marinating the potato pieces in lemon, olive oil, oregano and stock, then roasting it until cooked, followed by 5 minutes of broiling to seal the outside.

I thought that a great main course to accompany the potatoes would be the Zaatar/Sumac/Lemon roasted chicken made popular by Ottolenghi.  I used chicken thighs, although any bone-in chicken pieces will work.  The key to both dishes is to marinate them in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags for several hours.  Zaatar is basically thyme, sesame seeds and salt mixed together, so if you can’t find Zaatar, make up your own.  The cooked lemon slices in the chicken also go well with the dish. 

We prepared the marinades and dishes in the morning, then went off to see the Fillmore Jazz Festival in San Francisco.  This is a convenient dish to make in the morning, and have it ready to go for dinner.

Enjoy!

ROAST CHICKEN WITH SUMAC, ZA’ATAR, AND LEMON

by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

Ingredients

·         4 chicken thighs, with bone

·         1 red onion, thinly sliced or chopped

·         4 cloves garlic, crushed 

·         4 tbsp olive oil

·         1 1/2 tsp ground allspice 

·         1 tsp ground cinnamon 

·         1 tbsp sumac

·         1 lemon, thinly sliced 

·         1 cup chicken stock or water 

·         1 1/2 tsp salt

·         1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

·         4 tbsp za'atar (available at Middle East markets, or mix thyme, sesame seeds and salt)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the onions, garlic, olive oil, spices, lemon, stock, salt, and pepper. Leave in the fridge to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a casserole dish, large enough to accommodate all the chicken pieces lying flat and spaced well apart. They should be skin side up. Sprinkle the za'atar over the chicken and onions and put the pan in the oven. Roast for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is colored and just cooked through.

3. Transfer the hot chicken and onions to a serving plate and serve.  You can sprinkle on more za'atar and sumac, if you like. 

4. Try serving the chicken with warm pita bread and a garlicky yogurt sauce, made by mixing Greek yogurt with crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

ELLINIKOS LEMONI PATATAS (GREEK LEMON POTATOES)

Ingredients

·          4 yukon gold or 3 regular potatoes, peeled

·          1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

·          1/3 cup olive oil

·          2 garlic cloves, minced

·          1 teaspoon dried oregano

·          1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·          1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

·          1 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth or 2 cups lamb stock

Directions

1. Peel potatoes and cut them in half (from medium size potatoes, quarter if large).
2. Combine all other ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc bag, and shake to combine.
3. Put all of the potatoes in the bag and let marinate for 2 hours or more.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Put the potatoes and marinade in a large casserole, preferably a glass Pyrex dish, approximately 13 x 9 x 3 oval.
6. Roast for 1hr 10min, turning occasionally.
7. There should be plenty of sauce left over after roasting.
8. You can put these under the broiler for 5 minutes to crisp them up if you prefer.