Recipe by Chef Pino Ficara, www.pinoficara.com
Photo by Julia Griner

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 organic or free range chicken

Marinade:
1 bottle of Moretti Rossa
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
1 Rosemary sprig, chopped
1 tsp cracked peppercorns
grated peel of one orange
1 tbsp kosher salt

Rub:
2 tbsp smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Gravy:
strained marinade
2 shallots, minced
chicken neck and giblets, discard the liver
1 tbsp corn starch

Procedure:
in a bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Cut the chicken into 6 parts (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breasts), leave skin on. Save bones and giblets for the gravy. Place the chicken legs and breasts in the marinade and refrigerate, covered for 2 hrs. Add water or chicken stock to cover the chicken completely.

Preheat the oven at 400F.

Pat the chicken dry and save the marinade.  Combine paprika, oil and salt and rub the chicken. Rub under the skin if it comes loose but try to leave the skin on. Place chicken on a rack in the oven and cook skin side up. The breasts should be ready in about 25 minutes, the legs and thighs require more time. In any case check for doneness with a  meat thermometer.

While the chicken is cooking prepare the gravy. In a pot combine the marinade, the bones, the giblets and the shallots. Add water if needed to cover the bones. Boil on high heat and reduce by about half. Strain and return to the pot. In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup of water or stock with the corn starch (this is called a slurry), whisk until completely dissolved. With the marinade at full boil whisk in the slurry making sure that is completely dissolved. The slurry will start thicken the sauce when the mixture returns to a full boil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Strain again if lumps remain. Keep warm.

Serve the chicken with gravy on the side with roasted potatoes or steamed and sautéed green beans.