This is a real winter warming recipe that has the added bonus of making your house smell absolutely delicious and it’s courtesy of the lovely Sylvia Fountaine, trained chef, blogger and owner of Feast Catering Co. Her blog FeastingAtHome features recipes that are simple, wholesome and unpretentious with a focus on seasonal produce including some mouth-watering photography.

Like Sylvia I’m a big fan of making the most of the oven in winter to not only let it warm the house but I love having the kitchen and house infused with delicious aromas that make you appreciate the meal even more when you’re ready to tuck in. Here’s a lovely little excerpt of Sylvia’s introduction to today’s recipe:

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a simple roasted chicken, just pulled from the oven, aromas wafting through house, infusing hearth and home with warmth and comfort. Winter has arrived, dropping snow on the recently fallen leaves. It seemed to happen so quickly this year, the changing of the seasons. My initial reaction, truthfully, is resistance, to the abrupt ending of fall and the beginning of the long winter to come. And yet, I’m lured into acceptance by little things – the sound of the crackling fire, the snowflakes, the stack of books waiting to be read, new wool socks and comforting meals.

Make sure to visit her blog FeastingAtHome for more winter warming recipes.

PORTUGUESE CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

INGREDIENTS:

1 Whole Chicken (3-4 lbs)
1 ½ lbs (680gr) potatoes (yukon or reds), thinly sliced

Marinade:
2 Dried Ancho Chilies-re hydrated
2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
6 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Teaspoon coriander
1/4 Cup (60ml) plus 1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/4 Cup (60ml) plus 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon pepper

Cilantro Sauce:
1 Cup (240ml) plain yogurt
1 bunch Cilantro- finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon coriander
Cracked pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425F (220C) and rehydrate dried chilies in a small pot of boiling water on the stove for 20 minutes.

Butterfly chicken. Rinse inside and out, removing innards. Pat dry. Place on a cutting board, breast down. Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the spine, remove and discard. Turn the chicken over, and placing your hand on the breast bone, press down hard with the palm of your hand, to flatten.

Make the marinade by blending the marinate ingredients into a paste with a blender or food processor. Brush a layer of marinade on the bottom of your baking pan. Place the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the marinade and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Brush all sides and crevasses of the chicken with the marinade, coating fairly heavily. (You will add more marinade during cooking, so be sure to save the remaining.) Place chicken, skin side down on the potatoes and place in the oven. Turn over after 20 minutes, and place back in the oven. After 10-15 minutes, brush more marinade all over the chicken on the skin side, really lathering it up. Return to the oven and bake until cooked through another 10-15 minutes, or until leg/ thigh reaches internal temperature of 180F (80C). Remove chicken when done and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
While chicken is roasting, combine Cilantro Sauce ingredients together, either in a bowl- mixing by hand, or in a food processor.

More information & photography | Sylvia Fountaine from FeastingAtHome