Baked Chicken topped w/ Greek Salsa

Pan-roasting — searing on the stove top, then finishing in the oven — is the ideal way to cook bone-in chicken breasts. Sauté them for color, then move to the oven to slowly roast in their own juices. This way they develop flavor without drying out.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CHICKEN, SAUTÉ:

6 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed, seasoned with salt and black pepper (6–8 oz. each) NOTE: I used chicken thighs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges

FOR THE SALSA, COMBINE:

8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
½ cup pitted and halved kalamata olives
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp Honey
Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450° with racks in top and bottom positions.
Sauté chicken in oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat until browned, about 5-8 minutes. Flip chicken and squeeze lemons over browned side, then nestle lemons around chicken in pan. Roast chicken on top rack until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170°, about 45 minutes.
For the salsa, combine feta, tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, ½ cup oil, parsley, honey and oregano in a large bowl; season with pepper. Serve chicken with salsa and lemon wedges.

Paired with Vina Robles Viognier

Cuisine at Home Issue 74 April 2009

Baked Chicken topped w/ Greek Salsa

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