Greek Roast Chicken

My friend Kristy is Greek-American, and she is married to a man from Greece. I made a roasted Greek chicken for dinner the other night, and so I asked her for her recipe. Here it is!

Kristy Vahaviolos Kyriskopoulos' Greek Chicken

Whole Chicken
6-8 whole cloves of garlic
oregano
salt & pepper
1 lemon
4-5 potatoes
olive oil

Clean and rinse chicken then place it in a large roasting pan. Peel, cut and slice (lengthwise, creating long moon-shaped slivers4-6 slivers appx per potato) potatoes and add to pan. Clean garlic cloves and throw them in pan. Lightly dust whole chicken and potatoes with oregano...depending on how big the chicken is, that's how much oregano...a light dusting, you don't want the whole chicken completely covered in oregano, but well dusted. Season with salt and pepper (kosher salt is best if you have). Squeeze whole lemon over chicken and potatoes and then drizzle, quite heartily, with olive oil. I probably use 1/4 cup in the end. If you don't, it won't be as Greek tasting...don't ask how or why, but if your chicken and potatoes are well coated with oil, the chicken will have crispy, deliciously seasoned skin and will be slightly browned, and the potatoes will be well cooked but not falling apart, with the edges softly cruchy (seems oxymornic, but get it right and you will see what I mean)! I put it all in a 375 oven for almost 2 hours, turning potatoes every 30 minutes or so and swishing around the pan juices too (no need to baste). Then I serve the chicken and potatoes with a hunk of peasant bread, a sliver of feta and a glass of red wine (yes, this hearty dish seems to go well with red...try it!)...and if you close your eyes, you think you are in Greece!

"Chocolate Thunder" chili

My friend Nicole's brother-in-law recently won a Brooklyn chili cook-off. With colder weather on its way, this recipe should help warm you up.

Andrew Hughes "Chocolate Thunder" Chili

2 ears sweet corn
3 cans red kidney beans (rinse only 1)
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 large sweet onion
1 red onion
2 shallots
1 bulb garlic
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or pork
1 cup beef stock
3 T chili powder
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
1 T ground red pepper
1 cup shaved dark chocolate
1 large can peeled tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can diced tomatoes
2 T sugar
1 t sweet basil
1 t oregano
1 bay leaf
1 t thyme
1 t ground cumin
2 t Kosher salt

1. Cut corn off ears and placing kernels in a pan to be roasted or fried. Add salt and red pepper to taste. (Note: It is OK if the taste is stronger than you would normally like because it will settle when combined with the other ingredients.) When corn is cooked and a bit blackened, set aside.

2. Finely chop all onions, shallots and half of the garlic bulb, combine and set aside.

3. In large frying pan, combine all meats and start browning over a low flame. Begin to add seasoning, but use only half of your measured amounts until the meat is fully browned. Continue to add spices until you get to you desired spicy flavor. Refer to above note. Begin to add the chopped onions, garlic, shallot mixture, use three quarters of the mixture. Cook the combination over a low flame for 30 minutes while adding a half a cup of beef stock. Taste and add seasoning. Once the desired spiciness is achieved, then add two tablespoons of chocolate and stir for another 10 minutes. A lot of the liquid should be reduced by this time. Keep warm over low flame.

4. Pour all cans of tomatoes into a food processor and add sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, the remaining onion, garlic, shallot mixture and pulse until tomatoes make a chunky sauce. Then place in a large slow cooker or pot. Add bay leaf, three whole pieces of garlic and cumin.

5. Over a low flame, place the tomato mixture and begin to add the corn, then the beans, then the meat mixture and stir. This mixture can cook for 30 minutes to 4hours with no problem.

6. And final step, this is what helps to make this chocolate thunder chili and is the family secret, add a spoon full of shaved chocolate on top to mix. The family secret is that the chef and one other member of the house hold are allergic to chocolate.