Roast chicken cacciatore

Roast chicken cacciatore

Photograph by James Carrier

SERVES 6 to 8
TIME 2 hours

Ingredients
1 chicken (6 to 8 lbs.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
14 garlic cloves, peeled
6 rosemary sprigs
About 1 tsp. salt
About 1/4 tsp. pepper
2 each red and yellow bell peppers
2 medium onions
8 Roma tomatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup kalamata olives
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Remove giblets from chicken and pull off lumps of fat. Rinse bird well inside and out; pat dry. Set bird, breast side up, on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-in. pan.

2. In a small bowl, mix chopped rosemary and basil. Starting at the neck, gently ease your fingers under skin to loosen it over breast. Push 1/3 of the herb mixture under skin and spread over breast. Place 6 garlic cloves and 3 rosemary sprigs in body cavity. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Stem and seed bell peppers; cut into 1/3-in.-wide strips. Peel onions; cut each into 6 wedges. Core tomatoes; cut in half lengthwise. Distribute peppers, onions, and remaining garlic around chicken in pan. Set tomatoes, cut side up, on pepper mixture and sprinkle vegetables with another 1/3 of the herb mixture, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; drizzle with oil.

4. Roast until vegetables begin to brown and a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 170°, 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours.

5. Lift chicken, drain juices into pan, and set on a rimmed platter; let rest about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a bowl; sprinkle with olives and keep warm.

6. Skim off and discard fat from pan; add vinegar, wine, broth, and remaining herbs. Stir often over high heat, scraping up browned bits, until reduced to 3/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain into a small pitcher. 7. Garnish platter with remaining rosemary sprigs. Carve chicken and serve with vegetables. Add pan juices to taste.

PER SERVING 537 cal., 49% (261 cal.) from fat; 46 g protein; 29 g fat (7.3 g sat.); 22 g carbo (4.9 g fiber); 546 mg sodium; 134 mg chol.