RECIPES: Locanda Verde's Andrew Carmellini

Marinated Chicken Alla Griglia

An overnight marinade, plus about ½ hour of cooking time.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

¼ cup roasted garlic purée

½ cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ grape seed oil or corn oil

2 tablespoons dried oregano, preferably on the branch (Sicilian or Calabrian)

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

1 lemon, thinly slices

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

For the chicken:

2 whole chickens, halved

½ teaspoon each of salt and course-ground black pepper

Instructions:

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Place the chicken halves in a large container and pour the marinade over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Fire up the grill or preheat the broiler.

Remove the chicken's from the marinade (but don't wipe the herbs off; they're delicious charred with on the skin). Season with more salt and pepper.

If you're using a grill: Place the chicken's skin-side down and grill them on high. After 2 minutes, turn the halves 45°. After another 2 minutes, turn the halves 45° again. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the chicken until the juice runs clear when you stick a leg with a knife, about 20 minutes, depending on your grill.

Courtesy Thomas Krakowiak

Andrew Carmellini's Marinated Chicken alla Griglia for Locanda Verde.

If you're using the broiler: Place the chickens on a roasting rack and broil them until the skins are crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 425° and bake the chicken until the juice runs clear when you stick the leg with a knife, about 20 minutes.

Serve immediately, with the vegetables and accompaniments of your choice. Leftovers make a great chicken salad.

Shaved Porchetta Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches

This is an adaptation of the one we make at the restaurant, substituting the whole roasted pork for a rack of pork. At the restaurant we use green olive buns from Pain D'Avignon Bakery in Brooklyn but you can use any good quality ciabatta roll.

Ingredients:

For the pork:

1 2-3 lb. pork rack, about 4 bones, preferably from the shoulder end

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon black pepper

½ tablespoon fennel seeds

10 leaves fresh sage

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes

2 tablespoons salt

For the Balsamic Onions:

2 medium red onions

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Pinch salt

Pinch black pepper

For the Sandwich:

4 tablespoons Calabrain chili paste or harissa

8 slices provolone cheese

4 Italian sandwich buns

Instructions:

To prepare the pork:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Assemble all the ingredients for the rub on a cutting board. Using a chef's knife chop everything together thoroughly until you have a smooth paste. Rub the mixture all over the pork rack. Place the pork on a roasting rack. Roast it in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes; then turn the pan around and turn the roast over so it browns evenly. Continue roasting the rack for another 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of the rack reads 140 F. Remove the rack from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature on a countertop.

To prepare the balsamic onions: