<p>
<em>Makes 6 servings<br />
</em>With Dioscorides in mind, I found this recipe, which relies on the combination of onions and oregano for its character. The dish still is made in Crete’s country villages and taverns, but I would not be surprised if some ancient cookbook unearthed on the island would include this recipe as the first entry under “poultry.”</p>
<p>Slow “dry” baking in an earthenware pot produces a luscious dish that looks and tastes as though it has been lightly grilled. A German Römertopf baker is ideal for this, but any earthenware casserole dish will do. Two rabbits could be substituted for the chicken. </p>
<ul>
<li>2 medium onions</li>
<li>1 large roasting chicken (about 4 pounds)</li>
<li>2 teaspoons coarse sea salt</li>
<li>2-3 tablespoons dried oregano OR ½ cup fresh oregano leaves</li>
<li>Coarsely ground black pepper </li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut onions in half lengthwise then slice them paper-thin. Scatter half the onions on the bottom of an earthenware baking dish. Carve chicken into 12 pieces and put them in a deep bowl.</li>
<li>Combine salt, oregano and pepper and rub meat with the mix, coating each piece evenly. Put chicken in baking dish and cover with remaining onions. Cover dish with a tight-fitting lid and bake 1 hour and 10 minutes.</li>
<li>To brown meat, remove lid about 15 minutes before end of cooking time. Serve immediately.</li>
</ol>
<p>
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<p>
<em>William Woys Weaver is a food historian, cookbook author and contributing editor for</em> Mother Earth News <em>and</em> Gourmet <em>magazines. He gardens, cooks and writes from his home in southeastern Pennsylvania.</em>
</p>
<p>Click here for the original article, <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/cooking-methods/get-to-know-oregano.aspx”>
<strong>Wild Oregano: The Mediterranean Spice.</strong>
</a>
</p>
Wild Oregano: Mediterranean Chicken

Photo Courtesy StockFood/Schmitz
Sharp oregano and sweet onions add rich flavor to this classic chicken dish.
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