Sicilian Roast Chicken with Lemon and Capers

La storia di questo piatto

Born where ancient Greeks once tasted salt wind and volcanic earth, this dish carries the soul of Sicily in every bite — a land where lemons grow heavy with sunlight and capers cling defiantly to sun-bleached stone walls, whispering stories of Arab spice routes and Norman conquests.

Ingredienti

• 1 piece (1200-1500g) Whole chicken
• 3 pieces Sicilian lemons
• 150 g Pantelleria capers in salt
• 2 teaspoons Dried wild oregano
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 5 tablespoons Sicilian extra virgin olive oil
• 200 ml Dry white wine
• 200 ml Chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Preparazione

1. Place the capers in a colander and rinse them under cool running water, working them through with your fingers, until they no longer taste salty when you put one in your mouth; then let them rest for a moment in a small bowl. Take the lemons and slice them very thin, thin as coins, using the tip of your knife to remove every seed you find.
2. Pat the chicken thoroughly with paper towels until it feels completely dry, inside and out: this is the secret to skin that will truly turn golden brown. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and wild oregano all over the surface and also inside the cavity, then take two garlic cloves, crush them with the flat side of your knife and rub them energetically inside the chicken, so the aroma penetrates into every corner.
3. Pour three tablespoons of oil onto the bottom of a baking dish and place the chicken in the center, gently. Around it arrange the lemon slices, the capers well drained, the other two crushed garlic cloves, and if you have it, a sprig of fresh oregano: you'll notice what an aroma rises up already, even before it goes in the oven.
4. Pour the white wine and broth around the chicken, never on top, so the skin stays free to brown and doesn't get soggy. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper, like a light blanket, and place in an oven already heated to 190°C: now let the heat do its work patiently.
5. Halfway through cooking, remove the paper and with a spoon collect the juices that have formed at the bottom, pouring them over the chicken little by little: this step, which is called basting, gives the skin shine and flavor. Continue cooking uncovered until the skin becomes golden and slightly crisp, and if you have a thermometer check that the thickest part of the thigh reaches 75°C internally.
6. Turn off the oven and leave the chicken inside to rest: the meat relaxes and the juices distribute themselves more evenly, so when you carve it you won't lose all the flavor onto the cutting board.