Souvla’s Feta-Brined Chicken

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, divided use 3½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use 1 whole chicken, 3½ to 4 pounds 1 to 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper, or to taste 2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano 2 large lemons ¼ cup olive oil, more as needed 1 large bunch arugula or other sturdy salad greens, for serving

DIRECTIONS

The day before serving, combine 2 ounces feta, 2 teaspoons salt and 4 cups water in a blender and blend until smooth. Put chicken in an extra-large resealable plastic bag or container large enough to submerge the bird, and add the feta brine to cover. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from brine and transfer to a towel-lined tray. (Discard brine.) Pat chicken dry with paper towels and allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1½ teaspoons salt, pepper, oregano and the zest of the lemons (about 1 tablespoon). Liberally cover chicken in herb mix and gently massage entire bird. Cut lemons in half; place 3 halves in the chicken’s cavity (save remaining half for serving). Using kitchen twine, tie legs together.

Place a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until it just smokes. Place chicken, breast-side up, in the pan. Transfer entire pan to oven. Cook, basting once or twice, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Stir remaining crumbled feta into juices in pan and stir well. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving on a bed of greens, with feta-laced pan juices on top, drizzled with a little lemon juice from the reserved lemon half.

— Tony Cervone, Souvla