roast chicken

Roast chicken with bacon and garlic

Here's a typical conversation at my house as the evening hour approaches:

Mr. Cafe Kim: What should we make for dinner?

Me: Hmmmm...I dunno...I think there's some chicken in the freezer.

Mr. Cafe Kim: NOT CHICKEN AGAIN?!?! Please, no more chicken! I think I might turn into a chicken! Anything but chicken!

As you can see, we eat A LOT of chicken in our house. What can I say? It's cheap, healthy, and quick to prepare. But it is possible to have chicken overload. That's why I always keep my eye out for easy chicken recipes that are just a little bit different.

I found this Italian-inspired recipe in Gourmet Magazine. It's your basic roast chicken with a few exciting ingredients thrown in. We absolutely loved it! Mr. Cafe Kim even said he would eat it again.

Roast Chicken (adapted slightly) from Gourmet Magazine

1 chicken cut into pieces

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive-oil

1.5 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons rosemary, dried or fresh

1 tablespoon salt

pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

5 garlic cloves peeled

2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup broth or dry white wine

Black olives (optional)


roast chicken


Preheat oven to 450. Toss chicken pieces with oil, thyme, rosemary, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper, rubbing mixture into chicken. Arrange chicken, skin side up, in baking dish. Scatter garlic cloves and bacon on top and roast until chicken begins to brown—about 20 minutes. Drizzle broth or wine over chicken and roast 8 minutes more. Scatter olives over chicken and roast until skin is golden brown and chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes). Let stand 10 minutes.