Excerpts
Try Alison Roman’s Olive Oil–Roasted Chicken & Chickpeas
Dive into this ‘infinitely adaptable’ and delicious recipe, featured in Something From Nothing.
Olive Oil – Roasted Chicken & Chickpeas
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2–2½ pounds whole chicken legs, or bone-in, skin-on drumsticks or thighs
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic heads, unpeeled, halved crosswise
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
- ½ bunch oregano, plus more leaves for garnish
- 1 bunch small, thin carrots, halved lengthwise (quartered if large)
- 1 cup olive oil
This is an infinitely adaptable base recipe for one of my favorite combinations (and not just because it’s fun to say): chicken and chickpeas. Specifically, chicken and chickpeas covered in olive oil, slow-roasted together until tender and browned and crisped in all the right places. Not quite a true confit, but the spirit is there; the chicken nearly falls off the bone while the chickpeas turn into rich little orbs, creamy on the inside, lightly frizzled on the outside.
While the basic chicken and chickpea combination is impossibly delicious on its own, any number of fabulous items can be added to roast and sizzle alongside them: vegetables (carrots or fennel are nice); spices (crushed red pepper flakes, fennel seed, cumin); a dab of something like tomato paste, harissa, or gochujang; or various herbs. No matter what, there’s always lemon (never forget the lemon!). The chewy, caramelized little slices add so much bright acidity, sweetness, and texture, which you’ll definitely want after eating something bathed in all that olive oil and chicken fat.
NOTE In place of the carrots, you can use 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, or ½ winter squash, peeled and thinly sliced, or 1 bunch baby turnips, greens removed and halved.
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken in a large shallow baking dish or shallow braising pot (2½–3 quarts) so that the legs are snug and lying flat. Scatter the garlic head halves, chickpeas, lemon slices, and oregano sprigs among the chicken, nestling everything in there.
3. Add your vegetables (carrots, fennel, squash, turnips, etc.), letting them poke out a bit—they’ll get the most color by not being submerged. Pour the olive oil over the chicken, chickpeas, and vegetables. Season again with salt and pepper.
4. Roast, uncovered, until the chicken is so tender it nearly falls off the bone and the vegetables and lemons are nicely caramelized, 90–110 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Divide the chicken, chickpeas, vegetables, and lemons among plates (or serve straight from the dish it was cooked in). Scatter with more oregano before eating. Reserve the leftover schmaltzy olive oil in the baking dish for another purpose. (It can be strained, stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 1 month. Use it to fry eggs, roast vegetables, or make breadcrumbs.)
DO AHEAD Actually, one of the best make-ahead dinners (for company or just yourself). The chicken and chickpeas can be cooked 3 days ahead, stored in the baking dish and the fat they’re roasted in, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat the whole baking dish at 325°F oven until warmed through, 20–25 minutes.
EAT WITH Greens dressed in mustard vinaigrette, Salty Celery Salad with Anchovy (page 134).
Excerpted from Something From Nothing by Alison Roman. Copyright © 2025 by Clarkson Potter. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
