A recently published study indicates eating grapes can reduce the risk of age-related vision loss by providing protection against oxidative damage to the retina. To take advantage of this new finding, here is a simple entr?e with grapes, elegant enough to serve to guests. In addition, the chicken and garlic are good sources of selenium,
a mineral that helps the body absorb anti-oxidants and the olive oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
What you’ll need to serve 4:
1 ? tablespoons chopped fresh thyme plus 10 large sprigs
1 ? pounds of mixed red and green seedless grapes, removed from the stems
8 large shallots, peeled, halved vertically, through root end
5 cloves garlic, peeled, halved vertically, through root end
2 ? tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 (4- to 4 ? – pound ) whole chicken, excess fat removed from cavity
Salt and pepper
? cup white wine
What you’ll do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, gently mix and coat the chopped thyme, grapes, shallots and garlic with 1 ? tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.
Rinse the chicken with cold water and dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, cut along either side of the back bone to remove, butterflying the chicken. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and place flat and open, skin side up in a large roasting pan over the thyme sprigs. Rub the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon and salt and pepper the skin side.
Arrange the grape mixture around the chicken and pour the wine around the chicken. Place pan in the oven and roast for about an hour or more depending on the size of the chicken. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh should register 165 degrees F. and the grapes should be shriveled. Remove from the oven.
Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, arrange grapes, shallots, and garlic around the chicken. Transfer pan juices to a small pitcher; spoon fat from the surface of juices and discard. Serve chicken with the pan juices. Enjoy!
Thoughts and variations:
You can use just chicken parts instead of a whole chicken (cooking time will vary); you could substitute onions (cut to a similar size) for the shallots; you could substitute chopped fresh rosemary for the thyme; you could just use all green or all red seedless grapes; and if you want a little variation on the texture of the grapes, you can add them in thirds at 45, 30, and 15 minutes left of the cooking time, resulting in a mix of plump, cooked, and caramelized grapes.