This is the dish for when you want to impress someone you love but you really don’t want to make a big production over dinner. It takes about 10 minutes to prep things up then the grill does all the work. To make things easier serve it up on a big platter and let people help themselves. You are now a rockstar in the kitchen.  

Serves 4

For the Salsa Verde

1 bunch parsley, minced

1 tbsp capers, drained and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1lemon, zested and juiced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt

Cracked black pepper

1/2 c olive oil

Chop the parsley until finely minced and place in a large bowl. Mince the capers and garlic and add to the parsley. Zest the lemon, then juice. Add both the juice and zest to the parsley, capers, and garlic. Add the red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper and the olive oil to the bowl and mix until incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes as desired. For a thinner consistency, add more olive oil. 

For the Chicken and Potatoes 

1 whole chicken back bone cut out and the breast bone pressed to flatten 

zest of 2 lemons, plus 2 more lemons (total of 4), sliced in half

3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 potatoes, sliced in 1/2 inch slices

In a large baking fix mix the lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add in the flattened chicken, the potatoes and rub it with the olive oil mixture on both sides. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Heat your grill over medium high heat, and oil the grill grates. Cook the chicken skin side down and arrange potato slices on a cooler part of grill. Cook for 20 minutes, flip the potatoes, then flip the chicken so it is skin side up and continue cooking until the chicken has an internal temp of  160 degrees, about 20 minutes more. In the last 10 minutes of cooking the chicken, take off potatoes and grill the lemons flesh side down. Remove the chicken from the heat, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve, and serve with the grilled lemons, potatoes and the salsa verde.