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Culinary SOS: Old Venice’s Greek lemon chicken

Greek lemon chicken adapted from a recipe from Old Venice in Manhattan Beach.
Greek lemon chicken adapted from a recipe from Old Venice in Manhattan Beach.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles Times

Dear SOS: Old Venice in Manhattan Beach makes excellent Greek and Italian food, but its lemon chicken, from the Greek side of the menu, is especially wonderful. I can still taste the delicious sauce. Any chance of getting the recipe? I’d love to make it for my foreign dinner group.

Phyllis Ruderman

Manhattan Beach

Dear Phyllis: Old Venice was happy to share its recipe with us, which we’ve adapted below. Enjoy!

Old Venice’s Greek lemon chicken

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Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Adapted from Old Venice in Manhattan Beach

1 (3½- to 4½-pound) chicken

Salt and pepper

2 pounds boiling potatoes

2 large lemons

Heaping tablespoon Greek oregano

1 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry the chicken. Halve or quarter it and season with 1 teaspoon salt and one-half teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

2. Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges. Place them in a bowl and toss with three-fourths teaspoon each of salt and pepper, or to taste.

3. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in a roasting pan, and scatter the potatoes around it. Halve the lemons and squeeze them over the chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle over the oregano. Drizzle over the oil and water.

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4. Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, then turn it skin-side up. Continue to roast for 40 more minutes. Increase the temperature to 400 degrees and continue to roast about 8 to 10 more minutes until the chicken is golden and crisp, and a thermometer inserted deep into the thigh reads 165 degrees.

5. Cool slightly before serving. Serve the chicken and potatoes together, spooning a little sauce over each serving.

Each of 6 servings: 545 calories; 34 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 122 mg cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 781 mg sodium.

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