½chickenleg and breast attached, or any combination of 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or legs
1large Yukon Gold potato8 oz, thinly sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds
¾tspkosher saltapprox
Caper Chimichurri
1small shallotcoarsely chopped
1bunch cilantrocoarsely chopped
1serrano chili or jalapenocoarsely chopped (seeds removed if you are spice-averse)
1tbspcapers in brinedrained
¼cupolive oil
2tbspsherry vinegar
kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In small bowl, finely grate 2 garlic cloves; stir in Aleppo pepper, smoked paprika and a few glugs of olive oil – enough to turn it into a wet, sandlike paste.
Pat dry chicken with paper towels and season all over with salt.
In large cast-iron skillet, heat a glug of olive oil over medium-high until you see wisps of smoke. Arrange chicken in skillet, skin side down; reduce heat to medium. Place another heavy skillet on top of chicken to encourage the skin to make contact with the oil. Cook until skin is deeply golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
Remove chicken to a plate, skin side up. (The chicken will still be raw underneath; this is only temporary.) In skillet, arrange potato slices in concentric circles, overlapping some. Brush with some of the chili-garlic oil and season with salt.
Place chicken on top of potatoes, skin side up; brush all over with more of the chili-garlic oil. Transfer to oven and roast, brushing schmaltz oil onto chicken or spooning it over once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer placed in thickest part of breast registers 160°F, about 30 minutes.
Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. If potatoes are not yet crisp around the edges, return to oven until the outside rings are brown and crisp and the potatoes’ interiors are tender and schmaltzy. This is a best-of-both-worlds kind of situation – you’re not looking for full-blown potato chips.
Caper Chimichurri
In a food processor or blender, add shallot, cilantro, serrano, capers and the remaining 1 garlic clove; pulse to finely chop. Add oil and vinegar and blend again until combined but not totally smooth. Season with salt.
Serve chicken and potatoes with chimichurri.
Notes
If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the Caper Chimichurri by hand by finely chopping all the herbs and vegetables and stirring in the oil and vinegar.