Mario Batali dresses up his smoky, spice-rubbed roast chicken with his version of a classic Italian bread salad. The wine grapes he serves alongside the bird add a harvest feel but are optional. Slideshow: Fast Mario Batali Recipes
How to Make It
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, sage, cumin, salt and pepper. Set a rack over a baking sheet and place the chicken on the rack. Rub the chicken with the lemon, then rub 2 teaspoons of the spice mix all around the cavity and stuff the lemon in it. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Rub the chicken with the olive oil, then massage with the remaining spice mix. Roast the chicken for about 50 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°. Let rest for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and basil, season with salt and pepper and toss.
Carve the chicken and transfer it to a platter. Serve with the panzanella and wine grapes on the side.
