Greek Chicken and Potatoes

The leaves are not changing in Tampa because Tampa does not have leaves that change. What Tampa has is a gradual decrease in the frequency of afternoon thunderstorms and a marginal drop in humidity that locals celebrate like the end of a siege. The mornings are cooler. The evenings are tolerable. The real estate showings no longer require apologizing for the heat, which frees up approximately ten percent of my conversation for more useful things like square footage and school districts.

Sophia's grades came in for the first quarter of ninth grade: straight A's. My daughter has straight A's in high school and I called Mama immediately because good news must be shared with Voula within thirty seconds of receipt or it does not count. Mama said of course. Mama says of course about every family achievement as though excellence is genetic, which in our family it might be, though the gene for phyllo perfection clearly skipped me.

I helped at the bakery on Saturday — the holiday baking season has begun. Kourabiedes production starts in November and Mama needs hands. Mine are available. We stood side by side in the bakery kitchen at 5 AM, rolling butter cookies, and the rhythm was as familiar as breathing: scoop, roll, press almond, place on tray. We did not talk. The silence was full — full of flour dust and butter smell and the knowledge that we have been doing this together for thirty years and the doing itself is the conversation.

Alexander is still waiting to hear from his other schools but the USF acceptance has taken the pressure off. He walks taller. He smiles more. He has the particular glow of a young man who knows where he is going, even if where he is going is fifteen minutes from home. I am privately thrilled that he chose USF. I am publicly neutral. The private thrill manifests as extra servings of pastitsio, which is how Greek mothers express relief.

I made gemista — Greek stuffed vegetables — this week: tomatoes and peppers filled with herbed rice and baked until everything is soft and fragrant. The tomatoes collapse into themselves, the peppers char at the edges, the rice absorbs all the vegetable juices and becomes something almost risotto-like in its creaminess. It is autumn on a plate, even though autumn in Florida is mostly theoretical. Sophia ate two stuffed tomatoes and one pepper. Alexander ate the rest. The pan was empty by 9 PM. In this house, empty pans are the highest form of flattery.

The gemista pan was empty by 9 PM, which in this house means the meal was a success — and honestly, that empty pan feeling is what I keep cooking toward. But the recipe I come back to again and again when the family needs feeding and I need something that requires almost no thought is Greek chicken and potatoes: lemon, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and an oven that does the rest. It is the meal I make when I am proud of my children and want to put something generous on the table without leaving the kitchen for two hours. Some nights the cooking is the celebration.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the center position.
Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper until combined.
Arrange the pan. Place the potato wedges in a large roasting pan or a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour half the marinade over the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Spread them into a single layer.
Season the chicken. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and nestle them skin-side up among the potatoes. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, making sure each piece is well coated.
Add the broth. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan around the potatoes. This keeps everything moist and creates the pan juices you will want to spoon over everything at the end.
Roast. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 55 to 65 minutes, until the chicken skin is deep golden brown and the potatoes are tender and beginning to caramelize at the edges. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F. If the skin needs more color in the last few minutes, switch the oven to broil for 2 to 3 minutes and watch it closely.
Rest and serve. Let the pan rest for 5 minutes. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken and potatoes, scatter with fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Greek Chicken and Potatoes — The Comfort of a Full Pan in a House That Clears Them