Kotopoulo Me Dendrolivano (Or Rosemary Chicken)

When I'm in my mom's kitchen back home in Hawaii--the big, airy, sunlit, sprawling kitchen I grew up in--I like to take on culinary challenges. I'll spend an entire afternoon carefully spoon-measuring flour for a delicate savory souffle, or attempting to master a perfect pain au chocolat worthy of the ones I've bought in Paris, paid for and eaten straightaway, usually on the cobblestone street right outside of the patisserie. Those indulgent, day-long cooking experiments are among the slow pleasures a life in the suburbs (and on an island, no less!) can afford.

But here in the hectic whirlwind of NYC with it's almost-nonexistent slots of free time and even more nonexistent kitchens, my cooking goals are few: (1) find recipes with as few ingredients as humanly possible, (2) make things that are quick and easy, and (3) prepare relatively healthy meals. (Fashion girls do have to watch their figures, after all!)

Cooking, in and of itself, can be daunting. Factor in a scarcity of time and counter space, and it can seem downright impossible. But it's not. Cooking a good, hot, homemade dinner made with your own two hands (even if it's just for yourself) is important. It's good for the soul. But that said, it should be a piece of cake (both literally and figuratively). And that's where recipes like this one come in. It's always been my goal at Milk & Mode to offer up super easy recipes that anyone can make without a whole lot of effort. Think of it as Martha Stewart Living for the younger, hard-living, short-on-time set. And this delicious recipe for Kotopoulo Me Dendrolivano (or, in plain English, rosemary chicken) fits the bill neatly. I found it the other night while thumbing through an issue of Saveur and set about making it for my very next meal. It's something that Greek home cooks make all the time and I can see why: it's healthy and satisfying, delicious and (most importantly) easy as pie to put together.

Try it and let me know what you think. xo

Kotopoulo Me Dendrolivano
Adapted from Saveur

Ingredients

4 whole skin-on chicken legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground

 
   black pepper, to taste

1⁄2 cup flour, for dredging

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup white wine

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 fresh bay leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions
Heat oven to 425˚. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Put flour on a plate and dredge chicken in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add wine, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return pan to heat and cook until wine reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1⁄2 cups water and bring to a boil.

Cover skillet, transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and let chicken skin crisp, 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven; stir in lemon juice. Serve chicken with the pan sauce. 


SERVES 2 – 4