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Chicken Baked on a Bed of Bread and Swiss Chard. Photo © Frances Janisch
© Frances Janisch

Chicken Baked on a Bed of Bread and Swiss Chard

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  • ACTIVE: 30 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • •HEALTHY

This one-pot dish was inspired by chef Judy Rodgers's famous wood-fired roasted chicken at Zuni Café in San Francisco. Rodgers serves the chicken over bread and a salad, but Melissa Perello goes further and cooks the chicken over croutons tossed with greens, capers and golden raisins.

Plus: F&W's Chicken Cooking Guide

  1. 1/2 pound day-old peasant bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 loaf)
  2. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  3. 1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed well
  4. 1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped
  5. 1 large bunch of Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 pounds)—stems finely chopped, leaves torn into pieces
  6. 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  7. 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  8. 1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
  9. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  10. One 3 1/2-pound chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces, or 8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, capers, raisins, Swiss chard, shallots, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and black pepper. Spread the bread in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.
  2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and arrange them over the bread. Cover the chicken with a piece of parchment paper and close the casserole with a heavy lid. Bake the chicken for 35 minutes.
  3. Remove the lid and parchment paper and increase the oven temperature to 400°. Bake the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until golden on top and cooked through. Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the bread and greens.
Notes One Serving 505 cal, 45 gm carb, 17 gm fat, 4.5 gm sat fat, 17 gm protein, 3 gm fiber.

Suggested Pairing

Ripe, full-bodied Chardonnay.