Liz Pearson's Yogurt-Rubbed Roast Chicken with Red Pepper Sauce

Let's start things off with a big, happy, declarative statement, shall we? It's Monday and it's awful out and despite being almost mid-May, we're dealing with March-like winds and rain instead of flowers and sunshine. I need something to cheer me up, perhaps you do, too, and I'm thinking this might just do the trick:

I may have found my new favorite way to roast chicken.

There. Things feel like they're looking up already, wouldn't you agree?

I'll always love the high-heat, Judy-Rodgers sanctioned way of roasting chicken, but the last time I did that we ended up having to live with the stench of scorched chicken fat in our apartment for nigh on a week. Since then, I've been banned from preparing chicken that way. Apparently, until we have a little elf living with us whose sole purpose is to run around silently behind me, cleaning up in the wake of my cooking endeavors and periodically scrubbing the inside of the oven (and while little elf is at it, also mopping), I won't be roasting at high heat again.

(Tragic, I know. How do I stand it?)

But over the weekend I found myself repeatedly coming back to a recipe printed in the LA Times a few weeks ago that has you stir Greek yogurt together with some herbs and spices and then massage big handfuls of the stuff onto (and into) a chicken, before letting it marinate for an hour and then roasting it at relatively average heat until cooked through.

See, doesn't that sound good? Something about spiced yogurt and marinating chicken... and I'm bewitched all over again.

Yogurt tenderizes chicken, don't you know, and the herbs and spices infuse the meat subtly. The marinating time and then the relatively long, slow roasting ensure an incredibly juicy bird. And to gild the lily - but this gilding I found absolutely necessary - the recipe has you roast shallots and red peppers beneath the chicken. After the roast is done, you gingerly peel the peppers (watch your fingers, they'll be hot!) and then puree them with the shallots and a disc of puckery goat cheese into an ochre-tinged sauce.

The original recipe has you do a fancy pan sauce with drippings and stock and flour and whisking, but is it a surprise to any of you at this point that I was far too lazy to follow suit? It was late, we were hungry, and that burnished bird was sitting on its platter making our stomachs growl. So I scraped up the pan drippings, separated the fat as best I could and dumped the drippings into the creamy sauce before whizzing it one last time.

And it was fabulous. Sweet and savory and with the faint funk of goat cheese about it. We slathered the sauce onto our forkfuls of chicken, dragged the chicken through great puddles of the stuff on our plates. If we hadn't been in the presence of dignified company, I might have even taken a spoon to the bowl. Best of all, while the chicken disappeared in a flash, there's sauce to last us another night at least.

I'm planning on using this yogurt-marinade technique over and over again - committing it to memory, even handing it over to the lamination files, if you will! The chicken was dreamily moist and juicy and would make fantastic leftovers.

This is the perfect Sunday supper - one you can start as the sun starts its slow descent in the late afternoon and can have on the table by the time the light is gone, but the birds are still out doing their early evening calls. I love this time of day in spring and especially where we live now, where we can actually hear the birds over the sounds of the city. If I go out on the balcony, I almost feel like I'm back in Berlin again - close enough to the city that I see the sunlight sparking off the buildings in Manhattan, but far enough away that I hear more birds than sirens; birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees around our building.

And there we go! Suddenly this cold, gray day doesn't seem so bad anymore. I have red pepper sauce, Ben, and a movie waiting for me (how to choose: Scarface on DVD or Iron Man at the theater?).

Happy Monday, folks. I hope it's a good week for you all.

Yogurt-Rubbed Roast Chicken with Red Pepper Sauce
Serves 3 to 4

Note: I made a half-recipe - the original makes two birds, and enough sauce to last for a week's worth of sandwiches, I think. Also, I omitted the steps and ingredients for the pan sauce. Click here for the original.

1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (3- to 3 1/2 -pound) chicken
1/2 pound (about 8) shallots, peeled and left whole
3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 red bell peppers, halved, cored and quartered
1 2-ounce piece goat cheese, softened

1. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the dry mustard, thyme, coriander, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Loosen the skin around the breasts and thighs, then rub both chicken all over (beneath the skin and inside the cavity, too) with the yogurt mixture. Refrigerate the chicken, uncovered, for 1 hour.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the shallots, carrots, peppers, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste into a large roasting pan and toss well. Arrange a rack over the vegetables.

3. Arrange the chicken on the rack, breast-side up, and roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until the vegetables are very tender and the chicken is deep golden brown and cooked through, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and tent with foil; set aside.

4. Drain the pan drippings into a bowl, then skim off and discard the fat; set aside.

5. Remove and discard the skin from the peppers (it should peel off fairly easily), then transfer them to a food processor. Add half the shallots and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and pan drippings and puree until smooth.

6. Carve the chicken and transfer to plates. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the red pepper and goat cheese sauce over each serving and serve with the remaining roasted shallots and carrots on the side.

Comments

[jenny]

yes! yes! I clipped (or rather, e-clipped--my recipe file is an e-mail inbox for expressly this purpose) this recipe, too. here's my one issue. I'm loath to admit this but ... roasted red peppers and I, we, uh, don't get along too well. it's my great culinary shame because they're so central to so many delicious dishes. but much good it's done me to tell that to my stomach. I wonder if anything would work as a substitution ...

[Luisa]

Jenny - pardon the perhaps silly question, but does this - er - unpleasantness also happen when you've peeled the roasted peppers? And how did you roast them?

[jenny]

not a silly question, though perhaps a silly answer. and that is that I got turned off to roasted red peppers after being served the jarred, packed-in-oil version in several different dishes. someone also tried to pass off a rrp and tomato soup as tomato, but my stomach would have none of it. so perhaps the problem is that I've never roasted my own? that would be a miraculous and wonderful solution ...

[Moriah]

A little alarm goes off in my head every time I read a "favorite" roast chicken recipe, and the only thing that stops it is a fowl in the oven. This looks great! I'd better take advantage of the cool weather and make it soon or that alarm will be ringing until fall.

[Nan]

There is nothing better than a delicious roast chicken! It's a shame you *were* in the presence of dignified company so you couldn't just eat spoonfulls of sauce (what I would have done!).

[mathilde]

For those philistines such as myself who do not like goats cheese (I know, I know) what would you recommend as a substitution? A good fetta?

[Luisa]

Jenny - a tutorial on roasted red peppers, coming up! I meant to write one last week. I think you might find that making your own could solve the problem. It's worth a try, in any case... :)

Mathilde - feta would be a great substitute! It's saltier than goat cheese, so you would need to tread lightly when salting the puree. But I'm sure it would taste delicious. I made a dip last year out of feta and roasted peppers and za'atar and it was fantastic - a good combination.

[Jessika]

The problem with being a foodie is that your list of favourite food and favourite methods grow over time ;). So you could cook chicken this way, that way, dry rub, marinade. All of a sudded you can't choose. D-a-m-n. I had chicken with 40 garlic cloves the other day for the first time after seeing great fresh garlic.
I cooked alot of persian food for a time, then Indian, preferably Kerala where I travelled. Where's the yoghurt marinated foods huh?!? ;)
But then cooking is a journey in of in itself.

All my best.

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

I have a whole file on my computer of "favorite" chicken recipes -- mine, and others'. Like the perfect pair of jeans, the absolutely perfect, you'll-never-need-another chicken recipe is elusive. At the moment I'm into dry-roasting in a Dutch oven -- tastes great, and no oven mess!

[CM]

This is similar to a traditional Indian home-style way of cooking chicken that my mom taught me. Put ginger, garlic, lime, and garam masala in the blender with yogurt, slather the chicken with it, and the next day roast at 350-375. Works well with a cut-up chicken too. I like to put potatoes underneath -- they get deliciously crisp edges from the chicken fat.

[Luisa]

Cm - oh my goodness, that sounds absolutely fantastic. I'm going to experiment this weekend. Thanks for the tip!

[AnotherSarah]

This looks lovely. How do you think it would taste cut up and grilled? Obviously you wouldn't get the shallots/peppers/drippings but how do you think the yogurt marinade flavor would translate to a charcoal grill?

[jenny]

fab! thanks, luisa. that will be just the impetus I need to give the roasted pepper another try.

[Christina]

Hi Luisa!

New to your blog and am very excited to try out this chicken. There was an article in the New York Times Magazine in mid-April on the merits of Greek Yogurt and a recipe for lamb shanks prepared with the yogurt which I finally got to try a few weeks later. It was awesome! Did you happen to catch this article? If you are interested I would be happy to share it.

[Kalyn]

Your top photo of the orasted chicken is absolutely mouth-watering!

[Niall Harbison]

Hi There

I just stumbled upon your blog and think it is an excellent read for foodies and especially like the photos and design of the blog.I started off as a blogger myself and realise the importance of a good clean design like you have here. I have now bookmarked it for myself to read and have added you to our new list of "all the food blogs in the world" on www.ifoods.tv which we have been compiling for the last month! Hopefully it will send you some traffic in the long run. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on food so keep up the good work and talk soon. Cheers

[ann]

I didn't think it was possible, but this post has just made me feel glum about going to spend the weekend in the country! I now almost wish that I was sticking around in the city so I could try out your recipe and compare it to my favorite, the one I adapted from Nigel's pot roasted game hens. Ah, well, maybe next weekend!

[EB]

Can I just have a bowl of the sauce please??

[Double0]

I'm wondering if this method would work on the rotisserie. Since its bbq time (when isn't it) and I'd rather have the heat outside, just curious. Btw I discovered your site about 9 months ago and have made 10-15 of the recipes off it, fabulous.

[Luisa]

Sarah - I have almost no experience with charcoal grills and find them quite frightening, in a way. I've been successful with little kebabs and burgers, but with a dish like this, where the meat to be grilled is sort of slathered in this very thick sauce, I'd be worried that it'd slip all over the grill. That having been said, if you're less of a coward than me, I think you should try it - I'm sure the flavor would be great. I don't know how long it would take to cook, though - you should consult a grilling book for whole bird timing.

Christina - yes, I did catch that article. I wrote about making the fish dish that was included with the recipes a few weeks ago. Glad to hear the lamb was good!

Kalyn - thank you!

Ann - the country! In springtime! Who cares about chicken.

Niall - thanks!

EB - Ohhh, the sauce. We used it as a spread for sandwiches two nights ago and it was delicious. (Could have used a little more salt, ahem.)

DoubleO - you and Christina should try this on the grill/rotisserie and report back! I'd love to know how it turns out. Glad you're cooking up a storm. :)

[rebekka]

How serendipitous that I found your blog today! I was planning to make Greek roast chicken this Sunday but really had no idea how...now I do! Lovely blog!

[Molly]

Sounds a-ma-zing. I love yogurt marinades for meats--giving this one a whirl next time I cook chicken.
Tip for the high-heat roasting: start with a clean oven, use an earthenware roasting pan (Spanish-style glazed kind work great), and keep a bit of water in the pan so the fat doesn't burn. Works like a charm at my house.

[Jennifer]

My aunt has a great chicken recipe that's Jewish that marinates chicken in yogurt for kabobs... the fact that I love Greek yogurt also makes this look appetizing.

But, as it is grilling season here in Minnesota, I can't help but mention that my current favorite roast chicken recipe is Beer Can Chicken (so white trash in effect, but so delicious in its outcome) on the grill with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary under the skin.

It will make you want a grill if you don't have one, Luisa. I know city apartments aren't as convenient for grilling as houses in Minnesota.

I've got a picture of the results on my URL as a test post (still a blogging newbie).

[Sharona May]

The Chicken recipe looks great especially the sauce. I have not made that many yogurt marinades so this would be a new recipe for me.

Sharona May

[Cassandra]

It looks lovely, I'll try it very soon! Since I'm Greek myself, we always have Greek yoghurt in the flat, and we very often use it for marinades...I've already tried chicken marinated in Greek yoghurt- it generally turns out very well- but this recipe sounds interesting & delicious. Thanks!

By the way, your blog is lovely. I've been following it for a while now.
Cassandra

[Rebecca]

Oh, goodie! This sounds great-I've never thought of putting a sauce on roast chicken (silly me). Thanks for the link to your clip on the FN Dish-I won first place for the favorite new food blog! I wouldn't have looked if I hadn't read your post!

[Luisa]

Molly - the clean oven, errr, is where the first problem lies. Poor Ben scrubbed that thing so hard the last time I roasted chicken at high-heat, but we don't have a self-cleaning oven and there's only so much that elbow grease can do...

Jennifer - I have heard so much about Beer Can Chicken, that it's simply amazing. Until I have a yard/garden again, I'll just have to live vicariously through other people! :)

Cassandra - thank you!

Rebecca - congratulations! That's just great.

[Erinn]

I recall seeing that in the LA Times as well and feeling very curious about it. I'm glad you did the dirty work for me! I'm defenitely going to give it a try. Alas, I have yet to find the perfect method for roasting chicken. I even tried the old standy by "beer can" chicken and it still was mediocre at best.
After reading this, I feel hopeful.
Thanks!

[Kim]

I can't wait to try this recipe. I have become a big fan of greek yogurt and bought nothing else in the last year. Perhaps the yogurt moistens the chicken much like buttermilk does? Have you ever tried cooking chicken in a paper sack? It is really good, and guaranteed to not make a mess! New reader enjoying your site.

[Eliza]

Just wanted to say that I tried this last night and it was excellent. I subbed the red peppers though for two tomatoes which I cut into quarters and plopped in with the carrots and shallots (my husband deplores roasted peppers). It tasted very yummy. Leftovers? I am going to take some of the leftover roast chicken meat, the sauce and maybe some black olives and toss the whole thing with penne (yum)

[Eliza]

Just wanted to say that I tried this last night and it was excellent. I subbed the red peppers though for two tomatoes which I cut into quarters and plopped in with the carrots and shallots (my husband deplores roasted peppers). It tasted very yummy. Leftovers? I am going to take some of the leftover roast chicken meat, the sauce and maybe some black olives and toss the whole thing with penne (yum)

Posted by: Eliza |

[Rebecca Pollak]

Hi, Wednesday--I'm late to the party on this one but Leland was just raving to me about it. I make a grilled chicken that marinates in something similar to your sauce http://technically.us/eat/x/moms-new-grill and you're right, the yogurt does tenderize the meat and gives it a dreamy flavor. I'll put this recipe on my must-try list for when the weather turns.