Chicken vesuvio

An American crowd-pleaser, but with flavor. Adapted from NYT Cooking.

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• Best for: dinner, serves 4-6

• Difficulty: easy

• Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

• Recommended pairings: white or brown rice, quinoa, crusty bread

• If you like this, try... Chicken provençal

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Chicken and potatoes sounds bland, but this isn't. The garlic, oregano, and white wine combine for great flavor. After sautéing the chicken and finishing in the oven, it will be perfectly tender. The lemon juice and oil combination on the potatoes allows them to get perfectly creamy on the inside while staying crisp on the outside. If your oven has a convection setting, I would use it for this recipe. Set the oven to 400 instead of 425, and decrease the cooking times by about 20%. This allows the heat to be distributed more evenly, which is great for roasting meat and vegetables.

Ingredients

3-4 large russet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds), scrubbed, halved lengthwise, then cut into long 1-inch-wide wedges

2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp dried oregano

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8-10 thighs)

Kosher salt

Black pepper

2 tbsp unsalted butter

8-10 to garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup dry white wine

1 1/2-2 cup fresh or frozen green peas (thawed if frozen)

1/3 cup lemon juice, about one large lemon

Chopped parsley, for serving

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First...

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the potato wedges with 1-22 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the potatoes out in an even layer. (It’s OK if some overlap). Bake, tossing gently once halfway through cooking, until the edges begin to brown, and the potatoes can be pierced with a fork but are still firm, about 30 minutes.

Then...

While potatoes roast, prepare the chicken. Season thighs with salt, pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, patting the herbs into the chicken.

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken, about 5 minutes per side until golden-brown crust forms.

Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Then...

Reduce heat to medium-low, add the butter and garlic to the skillet and cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and wine to the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the peas. Pour the mixture evenly over the potatoes, then gently stir to combine.

Nestle chicken into cooked potato mixture, skin-side up. Drizzle any reserved chicken juices on top.

Then...

Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Drizzle with remaining lemon juice, and sprinkle with parsley.

Serve immediately, with plenty of the pan juices spooned over the chicken and potatoes.