Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Roast Chicken and Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 medium to large crimani mushrooms, stems removed
• 2-3 pounds red, new potatoes
• 1 whole chicken, cut up
• 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2-3 lemons
• Salt and pepper (course kosher salt preferred)
• A large, shallow roasting pan with a rack that will lay flat. This is important. Without the rack the potatoes just stew in the pan drippings instead of roasting.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl combine the olive oil and rosemary. Roll the mushroom caps around in the olive oil to coat; arrange them upside-down in the middle of the rack which is in the roasting pan.  Similarly, roll the potatoes around in the olive oil and arrange them around the mushrooms. Season with the course kosher salt fairly generously (less so if using table salt). The roasting pan should be full but just one layer of mushroom and potatoes. Next roll the chicken parts around in the olive oil to coat and place them on top of the mushroom caps in the middle of the pan. Squeeze one lemon over the chicken parts only.  Season the chicken with the salt.  Add a little pepper and extra rosemary over all.  Place in hot oven, uncovered, and roast until chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, about 2 hours.  To serve, place a piece of chicken on each plate, surround with potatoes, place a mushroom cap (upside-up) on top of each piece of chicken. Drizzle with some pan drippings or fresh olive oil and garnish with a lemon wedge.