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Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Herby Lemon Salsa Recipe

Excerpted from ‘At My Italian Table’ by Laura Vitale

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Published April 10, 2024

Lauren Volo

You’d never in a million years guess the secret ingredient to this roasted chicken and potato dish. It’s not an Italian dish per se, nor is it something I grew up eating, but it is the juiciest, tenderest, and most delicious chicken I’ve ever had in my life. Ready for it? Anchovy paste! It gives the meat the most incredibly salty, savory depth of flavor (without any trace of fishiness), especially when it melts together with the garlic. Every household needs a recipe like this because it’s so welcoming and warm and easily feeds a bunch of people. And on a chilly afternoon, when it’s drizzling and gray, pop this in the oven and know that it’s not going to be a wasted day after all because there’s going to be roasted chicken for dinner. — Laura Vitale

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For the chicken and potatoes:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the roasting pan
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (see Notes)
2 garlic cloves, grated (I like a Microplane for this)
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds), spatchcocked (see Notes)
1½ pounds russet potatoes (fingerling or round baby white potatoes work, too), cut into 1-inch chunks
4 medium to large shallots, halved but not peeled
1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
2 to 3 (4-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

Directions

Book cover that says At My Italian Table Family Recipes from My Cucina to Yours, Laura Vitale; pan and plates with food on it on a table

Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House, LLC

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare the chicken and potatoes: In a medium bowl, combine the butter, oil, anchovy paste, garlic, lemon juice, and plenty of salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. (It will look like it won’t come together at first, but it will get there.) Set aside.

Lightly coat a roasting pan with oil. Lay the chicken cut-side up in the roasting pan and season the inside with salt and pepper. Flip it over so it’s skin-side up and dry with paper towels. Take half of the butter mixture and smear it all over the chicken, making sure to get some under the skin, especially over the breast meat.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the remaining butter mixture and mix to coat well. Arrange the potatoes around the chicken along with the halved shallots and whole garlic cloves. Season everything one last time with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the rosemary and thyme. Roast until the chicken and potatoes are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, about 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the Herby Lemon Salsa (below). Remove the pan from the oven, tent the chicken with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Carve the chicken and place on a platter with the potatoes along with the shallots and garlic. Drizzle with any juices from the roasting pan and serve with the herby salsa.

For the herby lemon salsa:

Ingredients

1 small shallot, finely minced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the shallot, oil, parsley, chives, lemon juice and garlic.

Notes: If you have a tin of anchovies, you can make your own anchovy paste by mashing the filets into a paste with a mortar and pestle or just a fork in a bowl. But if you’d rather just buy the paste, you can find it in most grocery stores near the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.

I typically buy my chickens already spatchcocked, which means that the backbone has been removed so the bird can lie flat. They are often sold already spatchcocked, or you can ask the butcher to do it, but it’s also easy to do yourself. Place the chicken breast-side down, then use sturdy kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Flip the chicken over so it’s cut-side down, spread the sides out onto your cutting board, and use your hands to gently but firmly press the bird flat. Done!

Try More Mediterranean Meals:

Egg and Halloumi Breakfast Plate from Everyday Mediterranean by Vanessa Perrone

The Pasta I Crave Every Time I’m Near the Sea from Le Sud: Recipes from Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur by Rebekah Peppler

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto from Seriously, So Good: Simple Recipes for a Balanced Life by Carissa Stanton

Very Green Pea Hummus from The Sea Lover’s Cookbook: Recipes for Memorable Meals on or Near the Water by Sidney Bensimon

Main Mediterranean Meals Article

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