Recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 2: Wash the chicken under cold running water and dry it. With poultry shears, remove the wingtips and any excess fat and cut out the backbone. Put those aside for stock.

Step 3: Combine the garlic and parsley in a small bowl with the zest, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Set aside.

Step 4: In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients. Lay the chicken flat, skin side up, on your work surface. Stuff the garlic mixture under the skin and place the chicken in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or, even better, overnight. Turn it two or three times.

Step 5: Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heatproof cast-iron pan large enough to hold the chicken. I use a 14″ cast-iron skillet. Place the chicken breast side up and weigh it down with two clean bricks wrapped in foil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, and then place the pan and bricks in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and turn the chicken over, cooking another 20 minutes or so, until crispy and richly browned, about 50 minutes total.

Step 6: Remove the chicken to a platter and cut into serving pieces. Deglaze the pan with the wine and pour the juices over the chicken.

See more recipes from Frances and Edward Mayes.

Reprinted with permission from Frances and Edward Mayes’ The Tuscan Sun Cookbook (2012 Clarkson Potter).