Baked Italian Chicken is one of those perfect winter dishes that you can just put in the oven while doing other things. With this recipe the measurements don't matter too much.
I would serve this with a rocket salad dressed in a little balsamic vinegar or with roast potatoes. Simple, fresh and such a family favourite.
Ingredients:
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 120g piece of flat pancetta, or any cut of bacon
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 500g chicken breast or chicken thigh
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives
- Black pepper
- Parsley and parmesan, to serve
Optional additions:
- Roast Potatoes
- Rocket Salad
METHOD:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes, toughly chop the pancetta and peel the garlic.
3. Place the tomato, pancetta, oregano, garlic and the oil in a baking dish and grind black pepper over to taste.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Add the chicken and olives and bake for a further 20 minutes.
6. Serve onto warmed plates and top with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
7. If roasting potatoes - peel and then dice the potatoes into largish pieces. Boil until just cooked. Drain and add to a baking pan with a little olive oil and salt and cook in the oven with chicken.
TOP LOCAL TIPS:
OLIVE OIL // A good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil will add it's own taste to this dish and give a beautiful golden colour to the bake. For this recipe I've used the Oils of Milawa new release #Harvest2021 Frantoio, as it is aromatic and fragrant and adds a sweet nutty taste with a slightly spicy finish.
OLIVES // In this recipe I'm using a whole black kalamata olives, the Olive Shop black kalamata olives are tree ripened giving them their rich colour, they are then naturally fermented in brine. You will have to pull the stones out as you are eating, if you'd rather not then look for a pipped variety.
GARLIC // Is easy to grow if you have the space, it can be planted from early April to late June and harvested in December. It you don't grown your own, please buy Australian garlic. Australian garlic is more expensive then imported garlic, but buying local supports farmers and the garlic has a superior flavour and aroma. Unfortunately 95% of garlic sold in Australia is imported and it is often bleached and sprayed with chemicals that are banned in Australia (Source: Australian Garlic Producers group)