This is for my dear friend Ellen, at whose Evanston, Illinois home our family stayed two nights last weekend, at the end of a visit to Chicago. A typically riotous small dinner party ensued, involving many of the same suspects as last March; Ellen's husband Mark, a true mensch and one of the funniest guys I know, and our dear old Evanston friends Randy and Lucy. Once again, I did what I do in these situations. Arrive with a bag full of groceries and a plan, of sorts. The chicken entree went over big and Ellen has insisted on the recipe. I was going to e-mail it, but hey. I have a special relationship with chicken. (To see what I mean by that, scroll down to the "Poultry Blogging" section, here).

So instead, by posting the recipe at Rosenblog, I thought I'd create a space of peace, integrity and affirmation, where we - that larger, more interconnected "we" - can come together around the best and highest use of chickens.

Sheesh. Sorry about that last sentence. Living in Seattle for twelve years has obviously taken a toll on my phraseologies.

ROSENBLOG'S MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN RECIPE

This involves general guidelines, methods, and ingredients, rather than precise measurements. Also, it'll help if there's an organic, whole-earthy, upscale supermarket around. This fed six hungry adults and two teens with hearty appetites. Ingredients are in bold.

In shifts, and using one or two thick, large skillets over high heat, brown on both sides about four pounds worth of boneless, skinless, naturally-raised chicken thigh pieces. Before placing the pieces in the heated olive oil, assauage them liberally on both sides with a mix of dried parsley, thyme, finely ground pepper and a smidge of cinnamon. Use NO salt in this spice blend, as other ingredients are quite salty enough on their own.

As the thigh pieces are quickly browned in shifts, place them in a large baking dish. The bottom of a broiler pan works well. Then, use remaining olive oil and chicken juices in one of the skillets (adding a bit more oil if necessary) to begin a saute with a whole package of finely sliced fresh sage (an ounce, in the produce section with all the other fresh herbs packed in clear plastic packages). After just a minute or so, add: a hefty dose (say, three large cloves) of freshly chopped garlic; then the juice of a whole lemon; a good coupla splashes of dry white wine; (about a half-cup); about two dozen halved and pitted high-quality green olive bar olives, preferably stuffed with sun dried tomatoes; very coarsely cut six-inch long red and greeen oil-marinated peppers from the olive bar (these are tangy, definitely not spicy hot).

Mix well several times as you saute all of this a few minutes more. Then, spread the whole glorious mess over all the chicken in the baking dish. Stick that into a preheated 375-degree oven and cook uncovered for about 20-30 minutes. Occasionally do the old reliable thumb test on the cooking chicken, pressing a piece to test for doneness.

We served this with heated, sliced focaccia; a risotto I whipped up, with crumbled goat cheese, roasted asparagus tips and chopped fresh chives added at the end; and a salad of romaine lettuce, cooked and chilled green beans, dressed with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Alsatian Pinot Blanc or Oregon Pinot Noir makes a nice accompaniment.

Make it up as you go along, depending on what's fresh in the market. That's how you want to cook.

TECHNORATI TAGS: RECIPE, FOOD, CHICKEN, MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN, OLIVES, PEPPERS, CHICAGO, EVANSTON, SEATTLE