I served this recipe from NYT Cooking at a recent dinner party and it was a big hit. Arrange chicken parts on a sheet pan, season and roast for 15 minutes. Add crusty bread torn into big chunks, nestle around the chicken, drizzle with oil and continue to roast for another 15 or 20 minutes, until the chicken is done. Meanwhile, cook oil, garlic, raisins and salt in a small pot for a few minutes and set aside. When ready to serve, add stock to the garlic mixture and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add pepper, vinegar and oregano leaves. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and croutons and serve, garnishing with salt and oregano leaves. Cook’s note: I used dried cranberries instead of raisins and they worked well. I didn’t have fresh oregano leaves, so I added ½ tsp (2.5 ml) of dried oregano to the sauce and it was fine. I did use fresh oregano the second time I made this dish and it is a nice addition. The recipe calls for 1 lb. (454 g) of bread; I used about half that much.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Ace Bakery bread is typically free of additives. Make sure the raisins don’t contain preservatives; I used Craisins dried cranberries instead of raisins and they are free of additives. I used Better Than Bouillon chicken paste for the stock and Eden Organic red wine vinegar, which are free of additives.

Oregano-garlic chicken with big croutons

Ingredients:

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks (about 2¼ pounds/1 kg)

Salt and pepper

⅓ cup (82.5 ml) olive oil, plus more for coating the chicken and for drizzling

1 (1-pound/454 g) loaf hearty crusty bread

6 garlic cloves

⅓ cup (82.5 ml) golden raisins

⅓ cup (82.5 ml) chicken stock

2 tablespoons (30 ml) white wine vinegar or lemon juice

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh oregano leaves

Flaky salt

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C).

On a sheet pan, pat the chicken dry, season it all over with salt and pepper and rub with enough olive oil to coat each piece thoroughly. Arrange the pieces so they are spaced evenly in the pan with the thighs skin-side down. Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, tear the bread into large (about 2-inch/5-cm) chunks.

When the chicken has roasted for 15 minutes, flip the chicken pieces over (use a thin metal fish spatula to help loosen them if they stick) and nestle the bread chunks in between and around the chicken. Drizzle some olive oil over the bread. Roast until chicken is cooked through and the bread chunks are crisp and lightly golden on the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the garlic thinly, then add to a small pot with ⅓ cup (82.5 ml) olive oil, the raisins and a big pinch of salt. Heat over medium-low and once the garlic starts to sizzle, turn off the heat.

When ready to serve, add the stock to the garlic oil, bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Season with black pepper, then stir in the vinegar and most of the oregano leaves — the consistency will be like a vinaigrette. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and croutons. Sprinkle with some flaky salt and the remaining oregano leaves. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking