Olive Oil & Lemon Chicken

When I was 18 spending the summer before leaving for college in Greece, I had the pleasure of dinner in my friend Evelyn's grandmother's kitchen. At about 4 in the afternoon, on a day so hot it was difficult to muster the energy to put clothes on, let alone leave the apartment, Yaya invited us to come downstairs to her apartment for supper. Her oven had been on all day cooking this feast, so it was sweltering in the kitchen. I ran down to the convenience store on the first floor to pick up a liter of real-sugar coca cola. What came out of the oven has been seared into my memory as one of the most authentic Greek meals, true to the culture, the flavors of the region, and the dedication to cook at those temperatures on the hottest of days. Potato wedges, crisp and somehow soaked in broth at the same time, surrounded a whole chicken, blackened on the outside and unbelievably tender on the inside. Slices of lemon floated in the broth underneath the chicken and potatoes. The aroma of lemon was unmistakable, but the really impressive factor was the heightened scent and taste of olive oil. I could actually taste the olives. I could taste the bitter, herbal Greek olives through the olive oil so generously coating the chicken and potatoes. It was to die for.

Years later, I still attempt to cook this a few times a year. My best efforts are acheived with drumsticks since the skin allows them to stay in the oven, in the olive oil and lemon broth, much longer than without. I can't fathom how Yaya's oven allowed her to char the chicken so, but I endeavor relentlessly. My latest trick is to slice lemons and place them over the chicken after the dish has been in the oven for a while, covering the meat and infusing with lemon further. I've learned that Yaya deep fried her potatoes in olive oil, something I haven't tried yet, but explains the indellible olive flavor. I try to use no fewer than 5 lemons and plenty of olive oil. Adding onions to the broth is a nice variation too.