Aglaia Patronaki's Braised Rosemary Chicken or Kotopoulo me Dendrolivano

When my mom and I took an Adriatic and Ionian Seas cruise a few years ago we both stepped foot in the country of Greece for the first time. Both on mainland Greece, including a day trip to the birthplace of the Olympics, Olympia on the Peloponnese peninsula, and on the island of Corfu. We may not have had very long there but the salty sea air, groves of olive trees, aquamarine waters, and ancient ruins of cities that no longer remain are brought back whenever I make a Greek recipe like this one.

Kotopoulo basically means chicken and Dendrolivano means rosemary. The combination of fresh rosemary and lemon together is always delightful in the kitchen, making the whole downstairs smell fresh and our stomachs begin to grumble. Now, don’t make my mistake and begin your recipe in a normal pan on the stovetop. Since it needs to go directly into the oven, I had to transfer the whole thing into my Le Creuset dutch oven once I realized my mistake.

But, recovering from that misstep quickly, I was back in action. The chicken became brown and crispy and looking very tempting before I hurried it into the oven. There was enough sauce left in the pot after it was done in the oven so that I could drizzle it over the chicken just at serving time. I only wish I’d made more! What a zesty, lightly salty, and easy to make dish. I served it alongside some “Greek-inspired” Brussels Sprouts as well.

Braised Rosemary Chicken or Kotopoulo me Dendrolivano

Recipe from: Saveur, August 2011, by Chef Aglaia Patronaki of Thessaloniki, Greece

Serves: 2 – 4

Ingredients:

4 whole skin-on chicken legs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup flour, for dredging
¹⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup white wine
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 fresh bay leaves
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 425˚F. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Put flour on a plate and dredge chicken in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Add wine, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return pan to heat and cook until wine reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add 1 ¹⁄₂ cups water and bring to a boil.

3. Cover skillet, transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and let chicken skin crisp, 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven; stir in lemon juice. Serve chicken with the pan sauce.