Harry's Signature Chicken Vesuvio (Bone-In)

from Harry Caray's Restaurant Cookbook, the official homeplate of the Chicago cubs. It was voted Best Chicken Vesuvio in the city. It is a satisfying meal of chicken baked to utmost succulence encased in a red-gold crust of lush skin that slides from the meat as the meat slides off its the bone. Number of servings depends on your appetite.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 1  cup  frozen peas
• 2 (4 lb)  whole roasting chickens, cleaned
• 4  large  idaho russet potatoes
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 10  whole garlic cloves
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 1  tablespoon oregano
• 1  tablespoon  granulated garlic
• 1⁄3 cup  chopped parsley
• 1 1⁄2 cups white wine
• 1 1⁄2 cups  homemade chicken stock or 1 1⁄2 cups  equivalent amount canned low sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Blanch the peas by putting them in boiling water 1 minute.
3. Joint each chicken into 8 pieces.
4. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters lengthwise. In a large roasting pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and garlic cloves and sautee the potatoes until golden brown, stirring so they cook evenly. Remove the garlic cloves from the roasting pan and discard them. Remove the potatoes and set aside.
5. Add the chicken to the pan and sautee lightly on both sides of each piece until it is golden brown.
6. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half.
7. Return the potatoes to the pan. Season the potatoes and chicken with the salt, pepper, oregano, granulated garlic, and parsley. Add the chicken stock and transfer the pan to the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
8. Place the chicken on a serving plate and arrange the potatoes around the chicken. Pour the sauce from the pan over the chicken and sprinkle the peas on top.