Roast Chicken Ii

This Italian-style roast chicken is loaded with unexpected ingredients that work brilliantly together. Pine nuts, raisins, grated Romano cheese, fresh basil, and a splash of red wine vinegar all go on top of the chicken pieces before they roast alongside quartered potatoes in one pan.

The combination sounds wild, but it’s rooted in Sicilian agrodolce tradition: sweet raisins, sharp vinegar, salty cheese, and toasty pine nuts all playing off each other while the chicken renders its juices into the potatoes below. The vinegar evaporates during roasting, leaving behind a bright acidity that cuts through the richness of the butter and cheese.

Starting the chicken skin-side down lets the meat sear against the hot pan, then the skin crisps as the juices flow upward. The pine nuts toast right on top as the chicken roasts, turning golden and fragrant.

Pro Tips

• Dry the chicken pieces thoroughly before seasoning. Wet skin steams instead of browning and you’ll lose that crispy texture.
• Quarter the potatoes to a similar size so they cook evenly alongside the chicken. Uneven pieces mean some are mushy while others are still hard.
• Use good red wine vinegar. Cheap vinegar tastes harsh and doesn’t mellow as well during roasting.
• Check the pine nuts toward the end of roasting. They go from golden to burnt fast and may need a piece of foil over the top if they’re darkening too quickly.

Variations

• Swap pine nuts for slivered almonds or chopped pistachios for a different nutty flavor.
• Add halved green olives with the raisins for a more intensely Sicilian flavor profile.
• Use Pecorino Romano and add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a sharper, spicier version.