Recipe of the Week

Recipe: Chicken al Mattone
Source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients: *****
Simple ingredients make up this recipe. Even better, most of those simple ingredients can usually be found in my fridge, freezer, or pantry. That makes it easy to whip up a roast chicken. I find that very appealing as the fall weather makes its presence known in New England.

Preparation: ****
I’ve never cut the backbone out of a chicken before and it made me a bit nervous. With knife and scissors in hand I soon found out it’s really no big deal. From there you smear on a marinade and let it sit overnight. The cooking is equally hands-off: some browning on the stovetop and slide it in the oven with a brick, or, as in my case, a cast iron skillet on top.

Taste: ***
I had really high hopes for this dish and it let me down. The chicken was good but I was really hoping for great. Despite marinating the chicken overnight it didn’t take on any of the flavors of lemon, garlic, and rosemary. If I were to make this again I think I’d rub the marinade under the skin rather than on top as the recipe suggests. But would I make it again? Maybe. The crispy, beautifully browned skin just might make it worth a repeat.

BONUS RECIPE! Now if you're looking for something that will really knock your socks off I suggest trying the corn bread salad I served alongside the chicken. Amazing. I'm still looking for my socks. If you hurry you just might be able to squeeze this in before all the fresh tomatoes are gone for another year.