Frango Assado (Portuguese Roast Chicken with Potatoes)

A simple, comforting classic full of flavor. The chicken roasts slowly over a bed of onion, garlic, leek, white wine and herbs, while the potatoes cook in the pan juices and soak up all the flavor of the roast.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) potatoes
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 leek, sliced into rounds
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 150 ml (⅔ cup) white wine
• Piri-piri sauce, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• Olive oil, as needed
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Make the base: In a clay or ovenproof baking dish, spread a generous layer of onion, garlic and leek. Drizzle with olive oil.
2. Season the chicken: Arrange the chicken pieces over the vegetables and season with salt and black pepper. Add the tomato paste, sweet paprika and a few drops of piri-piri sauce. Pour the white wine over the top.
3. Add the potatoes: Cut the potatoes into thick wedges or large chunks and arrange them around the chicken. Add the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs, tossing the potatoes lightly in the seasoning and sauce.
4. Roast: Bake in an oven preheated to 180–200 °C (350–400 °F) for about 1 hour, until the chicken is golden and juicy and the potatoes are fully roasted. Baste the chicken and potatoes a few times with the pan juices while cooking.
5. Serve: Remove from the oven and serve right away, spooning the pan juices over the chicken and potatoes.

Tip

Basting the chicken with its own juices while it cooks keeps it moist and makes the potatoes even more flavorful.