Roast Chicken With Lemon, Oregano & Vermouth

A delicious, easy meal that's perfect for during the week as it doesn't take a lot of time to prepare. I got the recipe from Food and Wine Magazine's Quick from Scratch - Italian. I usually serve it with rice, but is equally as good with potatoes.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 (3 -3 1/2lb)  roasting chickens, cut into 8 pieces
• 4  teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2  tablespoons dry vermouth or 2  tablespoons white wine
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons water

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the chicken with 3 teaspoons of the oil. Put the pieces, skin-side up, in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the oregano, 1 tablespoon of the vermouth, the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon oil over the top.
2. Cook the chicken until the breasts are just done, about 25 minutes. Remove the breasts and wings and continue to cook the drumsticks and thighs until done, about 5 minutes longer.
3. Heat the broiler. Remove the roasting pan from the oven; return the breasts and wings to the pan. Broil the chicken until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
4. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan. Set the pan over moderate heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon vermouth and the water. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits. Boil until reduced to approximately 2 tablespoons. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
5. Variation: If you prefer all white or dark meat, use four bone-in breasts, eight drumsticks, or eight thighs instead. Cook the breasts for twenty-five minutes or the legs for thirty minutes.
6. Variation #2: I usually skin the chicken and it turns out just as wonderfully as the original.