Recipe: Chicken with Roasted Grapes, Garlic and Rosemary is irresistible

The usual recipe for this dish calls for a whole chicken, but it also can be made with skin-on thighs.

This dish is downright irresistible. It’s easy to prepare and has a short ingredient list. Chicken with Roasted Grapes is a one-skillet wonder that is a weeknight favorite, but certainly is delicious enough to serve as a company dinner entree.

The whole red grapes, chicken, and peeled garlic cloves, team with rosemary, black pepper, and kosher salt. A luscious sauce forms as the mix reaches perfection in the oven. The original recipe from Food & Wine’s “Simple Suppers,” calls for 1 whole 4-pound chicken cut into 8 pieces. That’s fine, but I prefer to use chicken thighs instead.

Serve it in shallow bowls atop cooked farro or rice. If you like garnish each serving with a small sprig of fresh rosemary.

Chicken with Roasted Grapes, Garlic, and Rosemary

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 to 7 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use

2 1/2 cups red seedless grapes

1 large head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled (about 15 large cloves)

1 generous sprig or 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional for serving: Cooked farro or rice

Optional garnish: Small sprigs of fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim off excess skin from thighs, the portion that hangs over the sides. It’s easiest to do this with scissors, but a sharp knife will also do the job. You want to leave the skin intact that covers the top of the thigh. Season on both sides with kosher salt.

2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large, deep, ovenproof skillet on high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down. Cook, undisturbed, until skin is browned and crisp, about 10 minutes (if browning too quickly, reduce heat to medium-high). Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a plate. Add grapes, garlic cloves, and rosemary to the skillet, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Return chicken to skillet skin-side up, nesting chicken between and atop the grapes. Drizzle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.

3. Roast in preheated oven until chicken is cooked through, 23 to 25 minutes. Let the dish rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with ground black pepper. Serve with sauce spooned on top. If you like, serve in shallow bowls atop cooked farro or rice. If desired, garnish each serving with a small sprig of rosemary.

Source: Adapted from “Food & Wine Simple Suppers”

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.