This chicken and potato dish is a perfect example of classic Italian home cooking at its best, offering a much simpler and healthier version of chicken and chips. The chicken is juicy and succulent, and the roast potatoes are super crispy, with a touch of rosemary and salt.
The recipe is loved by adults and children alike, making it a great traybake meal that will please the whole family. It can be served with greens on the side or on its own as a meal in itself, much like a traditional simple gnocchi dish.
Ingredients and Preparation
To make this dish, you will need 2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves finely chopped, 2 fresh bay leaves, stalks stripped and leaves finely chopped, and 2 large onions, chopped into thick petals. You will also need 100ml Vermentino or a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, fine sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
The recipe also requires 1.2kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3cm cubes, 6 garlic cloves, roughly crushed, and 1 large sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped.
Cooking the Chicken and Potatoes
To start, marinate the chicken by putting all the ingredients, except those for the rosemary potatoes, into a large bowl along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Using your hands, give it a good stir, then cover and set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced. Put all the ingredients for the potatoes into a large bowl, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to coat the potatoes in the seasonings.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Pour in the seasoned potatoes, making sure they don’t overlap, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, discard any liquid from the marinated chicken, add a generous glug of olive oil, season with salt, and give it a good stir.
Arrange the chicken and onions in the tray by nestling the chicken in between the potatoes and tucking the onions under each chicken piece. Make sure the chicken and the potatoes are not overlapping, so that they will color evenly.
Place the tray back in the oven and roast for 40–45 minutes, or until the chicken and the potatoes are golden and fully cooked. Serve nice and hot, perfect for enjoying on your patio with family and friends.
About the Author
Francesco Mattana is an Italian chef and online sensation with a large, loyal community that attracts millions of people across social media platforms. He grew up in Sardinia, surrounded by great home cooks and an appreciation for local and seasonal ingredients, which inspired him to start his own culinary journey.
After working in the kitchen in Sardinia, Francesco traveled to Australia, where he opened his own highly regarded Italian restaurant in Brisbane called Ajó. In 2017, Francesco moved to the UK to pursue his passion for teaching, working for some of the top cookery schools in London and eventually becoming the head teacher chef at Jamie Oliver’s Cookery School.
This recipe is an edited extract from ‘Eat Like a Sardinian’ by Francesco Mattana, with photography by Dave Brown, published by Murdoch Books, $45.
