Chicken Giouvetsi

Γιουβέτσι Κοτόπουλο Στο Φούρνο

What is this "giouvetsi" that I speak of? It's a hug on a plate, that's what it is!

So here's some background on this oh so delicious and comforting dish:

• It is a dish which is thought to go back to Mesopotamian times

• The Greek word Giouvesti is derived from the Turkish work Güveç.

• A Güveç is the name of a variety of earthenware pots used in Turkish cuisine. The pot is wide medium-tall, can be glazed or unglazed, and the dish in it is cooked with little or no additional liquid

• The traditional earthenware pot is not often used in modern times, but the dish is still called giouvetsi

• Traditionally made with lamb or beef. Pork, goat and chicken can be used as well.

• Usually has pasta such as krytharaki (rice shaped pasta) or hilopites (Greek egg noodle cut into small squares)

My favourite is my mum's (of course). She usually makes a lamb one, but she has also made it with beef and goat. All equally delicious.

But what happens when you work full time and you are craving some giouvetsi? You make the quick chicken version of course!

This is our version of the Greek classic.

Oven Baked Chicken Giouvetsi

INGREDIENTS:

2Kg Chicken Maryland (or you can use a whole chicken)

1 x large brown onion, cut into wedges

2-3 x garlic cloves, peeled

2-3 x bay leaves

1Tbsn dried Greek mountain oregano

1 tspn paprika

1-2 x cinnamon quills

1 x 400g tin of good quality tomato pulp/puree

1/4 cup of good quality olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1.5 cups of krytharaki

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 200℃

Wash chicken, trim away and excess fat & pat dry

You will need a large Pyrex oven dish (approx 40cm x 30cm)

In a small bowl mix together the dried Greek mountain oregano, paprika, salt & pepper

Place the chicken in the oven dish and season with the salt mixture (arrange skin side up)

Organise the pieces of onion, garlic, bayleaves and cinnamon quills in the oven dish around the chicken

Pour in the tomato pulp/puree carefully around the chicken

Fill the tomato tin twice with water and pour around the chicken

Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken

Cover with foil

Place the oven dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour

Remove dish from the oven and remove the foil

Take out the onion, garlic, bay leaves and cinnamon quills

Pour the krytharaki around the chicken and stir in well so that it is well covered by the liquid

Place the uncovered oven dish back into the oven and bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes until krytharaki is cooked.

The krytharaki will look like it is stuck at this point. You just need to stir it through the liquid and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions:

Sprinkle with feta and mop up with fresh crusty bread.

Be sure to stir at this stage.

Καλή Ὀρεξη (Bon Apettit!)

Serve with a Greek Lettuce Salad

Let's Eat! - A Collection of Family Recipes is creating a cookbook which will be released in 2021.

In the meantime we will be posting dishes to raise awareness, practice recipes and of course to tempt your appetite 😉

If you like this recipe, we ask you for a grateful donation of $5 to our official MS Fundraising page