Wow! That’s what I said after taking the first bite of the roast chicken I prepared last night. It was truly that good. The recipe I used, “Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken with Buttered Tomatoes” comes from Alison Roman’s 2019 cookbook Nothing Fancy, the cover of which features a picture of the dish. Like so many of her recipes, it foregoes fanfare for flavor, fancy for footloose, and frustration for fun.

What appealed to most about the dish was the slow roasting of the chicken. Looking over the recipes for roast chicken on this blog, I found that more often than not I’ve roasted chicken between 400°F and 450°F.  So, Roman’s recommended temperature of 325°F and a cooking time somewhere between 2 ½ and 3 hours, along with my predilection low and slow cooking inspired me to make the dish. In fact, I was so enthused that I walked three miles in the rain to get fresh oregano.

The hike was worth it; the chicken exceeded my expectations, which had been somewhat subdued by a side note in the recipe about crispy chicken: “Crispy-skinned chicken is a myth and a lie. Even when remotely crispy out of the oven, it will soften and deflate the second you slice into it. . ..” The chicken was stunning when it was done, perfectly browned and spotted with toasted fennel seeds, surrounded by halved heads of garlic and jammy tomatoes, and enriched with hints of oregano.  The succulent dark meat and moist white were infused with fennel, oregano, and garlic flavors. The slow roasting delivered fall-off-the bone meat from the legs. And all of this was elevated to another level by the juicy buttered tomatoes and roasted garlic served atop thick slices of crusty sourdough bread.

One note: I found that the 3-hour cooking time was perfect for my 4 ½-pound chicken. A smaller bird might require a shorter cooking time.

Slow-Roasted Oregano Chicken with Buttered Tomatoes (adapted from Alison Roman’s cookbook Nothing Fancy)

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken (I used a 4 ½-pound chicken.)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1½ tablespoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice mill, or chopped with a knife (I used a mortar and pestle.)
1 bunch fresh oregano
1½ pounds small vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6), halved lengthwise (I used a pound of cocktail tomatoes, about 12.)
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise (skin on)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
4 to 6 (1-inch-thick) slices of good country bread, such as country loaf or sourdough, toasted (optional) ) (I highly recommend making the toast; perfect for enjoying the tomatoes, garlic, and juices.)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.

2. Season the chicken liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. (Best to do this in advance.) Drizzle it with the olive oil and sprinkle with the fennel seeds. (Prior to seasoning, I suggest patting the chicken dry with paper towels.)

3. Stuff the cavity with half the oregano and place in a large baking dish. (I used a cast-iron skillet. I also recommend tying the legs with cooking twine after stuffing for better cooking of the thigh meat.)

4. Scatter the tomatoes, garlic, butter, and remaining oregano around the chicken.

5. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and completely cooked through, and the tomatoes are nice and jammy, 2½ to 3 hours. (The chicken should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer at its thickest parts.)

6. Add the vinegar to the tomatoes and let the chicken rest loosely tented with foil in the baking dish for 10 minutes.

7. Place toast, if using, on serving plates and spoon the jammy tomatoes over or around the toast. Carve the chicken and place on top of the toast to catch the juices on warmed plates.

Note: The chicken can be roasted a few hours ahead; it’s very good at room temperature.

Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Dry Chenin Blanc