Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken With Buttered Tomatoes

Name: Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken With Buttered Tomatoes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) whole chicken; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice mill, or chopped with a knife; 1 bunch fresh oregano; 1 ½ pounds small vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6), halved lengthwise; 2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise (it's fine to leave the skin on); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar; 4 to 6 (1-inch-thick) slices of good country bread, such as country loaf or sourdough, toasted (optional)

By Alison Roman

Published October 8, 2019

Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott

Media 1 of 1

Total Time: About 3 hours
Rating: 5(1,314)
Comments: Read comments

There are about a million ways to roast a chicken, and people will always tell you that theirs is the best way. Here is the truth: If you smear a good, high-quality chicken with enough fat, season it with plenty of salt and roast it until the skin is brown, it will always be excellent. But it’s slow-roasting that gives you golden skin, tender meat and plenty of salty, savory chicken juices to serve as a sauce. From the simple assortment of ingredients to the ridiculously hands-off preparation, this recipe from Alison Roman's cookbook "Nothing Fancy" (Clarkson Potter, 2019) is casual in a way that feels almost lazy (but isn’t), with make-sounds-after-you-take-a-bite levels of deliciousness. To truly put it over the edge, add a few anchovies to the tomatoes.

Featured in: It’s Not Entertaining. It’s Having People Over.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice mill, or chopped with a knife
1 bunch fresh oregano
1 ½ pounds small vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6), halved lengthwise
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise (it's fine to leave the skin on)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
4 to 6 (1-inch-thick) slices of good country bread, such as country loaf or sourdough, toasted (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. (If you can do this in advance, please do.) Drizzle it with the olive oil and sprinkle with the fennel seeds.
Step 2
Stuff the cavity with half the oregano and place in a large baking dish. Scatter the tomatoes, garlic, butter and remaining oregano around the chicken. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and completely cooked through, and the tomatoes are nice and jammy, 2 ½ to 3 hours. Add the vinegar to the tomatoes and let the chicken rest in the baking dish for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Place toast, if using, on serving platter and spoon the jammy tomatoes over or around the toast. Carve the chicken and place on top of the toast to catch the juices.

Tip

The chicken can be roasted a few hours ahead; it’s very good at room temperature.

Private Notes

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Ratings

5 out of 5

1,314 user ratings

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Comments

Robin7 years ago

Always curious as to why people substitute an entirely new recipe for the one printed, rather than trying the recipe actually presented and then commenting. Anyone know? I enjoy hearing from readers who actually cooked the recipe as written and whether it was good or not. Bob, did you try Alison's recipe, or do you just know, with absolute certainty, Blumenthal's is the best? If you had at least tried Alison's maybe a constructive critique was in order based on your actual experience of both.

Kathy7 years ago

Serve this with the toast underneath--really elevates this dish. Also be wary of three hours in the oven. Best to check your chicken with a thermometer--done when 165 degrees. My chicken (3.9 lbs) was overcooked at 2.75 hours.

CINDY7 years ago

I am finally happy to see a long roasted chicken! This is the way I've always cooked roasted chicken........long and low.......as did my grandmother. I think it's the only and most delicious way to roast! The tomatoes look to be a lovely addition!

Jo14 days ago

This is a favorite, just as written. Made it many times. With a green salad, and chocolate cream pie.

AJ5 months ago

I made this with three changes. I had dried oregano from what I grew this summer (no fresh), and I added some thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb to the roasting pan. I also peeled the garlic as a few others suggested, and I left the cloves whole. I did baste it and checked the temp a few times. Otherwise, I did as directed. I left in in the oven until the chicken reached 165, which was about 90 minutes. Moist and the skin was browned. It was excellent with some freshly baked sourdough bread.

Mary Jane5 months ago

Absolutely delicious meal. The chicken cooked quicker than the tomatoes so I took the chicken out of the pan and continued to cook the tomatoes for another 30 minutes. I didn't have fresh oregano so used dried which was fine. I should have chopped the fennel finer than I did. Lesson learned. Perhaps I should invest in a mortar and pestle because I plan to make this again (and again!) I used the carcass to make delicious bone broth.

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