Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

Lately I have had a thing for Kalamata olives.  I LOVE them.  So when I found some whole chickens on sale for 77 cents a pound, I couldn't pass them up and went looking for a way to combine my love of olives with the chicken.  I found this recipe and it is delish.  Not so pretty, but the olives and potatoes together melt in your mouth and the chicken if fabulous.  I also love the easiness of roasted whole chicken.  I used dried thyme leaves because I didn't plan ahead and it turned out good too.

Ingredients:

• 1 7-pound roasting chicken
• 6 tablespoons olive paste (olivada) - Recipe Below or you can buy already made.
• 2 bay leaves
• Olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives

• Fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 450°F. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast and legs to form pockets. Spread 4 tablespoons olive paste over breast and leg meat of chicken. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons olive paste in cavity of chicken. Place bay leaves in cavity. Tie legs together to hold shape. Rub olive oil into chicken skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Place chicken in large roasting pan.

Place potatoes in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Add potatoes to pan with chicken. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and roast 1 hour longer. Add olives to pan. Continue roasting until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 10 minutes.

Transfer chicken to platter. Surround with potatoes and olives. Sprinkle with additional thyme. Pour chicken pan juices into large cup and degrease. Serve chicken, passing pan juices separately.

Olivada:

1 1/2 cups pitted Kalamata olives (about 8 ounces)

4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine olives, rosemary, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper in processor. Blend until olives and garlic are chopped finely. With machine running, add 4 tablespoons oil through feed tube and blend until coarse paste forms. (Olivada can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate.)