This Month's Recipe

Carefully wash and clean chicken and pat dry. Season inside of chicken with salt and pepper and place in roasting pan breast side up. Crush garlic with knife blade and place two cloves, two sprigs of rosemary, and 5 or 6 olives in the cavity of the chicken. Place remaining garlic, rosemary and olives in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast chicken 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until juices run clear. Uncover chicken and roast an additional 15 minutes until chicken browns. Baste chicken with melted butter and pan juices often through roasting process. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and serve. Serve with long grain and wild rice, candied carrots, and a cucumber salad.

I have tried to recreate this from memory; a memory of a wonderful Sunday afternoon dinner once prepared for us by Mario and Paola. While the chicken I make is very good, it never seems to equal Mario and Paola’s. I think their secret is that they use olives from their own trees marinated in their own seasoning.

Bon Appetit!