Attiki Kotopoulo me Patates sto Fourno (Κοτόπουλο με Πατάτες στο Φούρνο)

Kotopoulo me patates sto fourno is the Attiki home-oven tray roast: chicken, potatoes, lemon, oregano, garlic, and olive oil, all cooked together until the potatoes taste almost more important than the meat. In Athens houses and the villages around it, this is the pan that comes to the table on Sunday and still works on a tired weeknight if you start early enough.

The dish is itself because the potatoes sit low and large in the pan, where the chicken fat, lemon, and olive oil gather. Cut them too small and they surrender. Put them on top and they dry. Keep them underneath and they drink, turning soft inside, browned at the edges, sharp with lemon but rounded by oil.

I don't fuss with this one. Good chicken, waxy potatoes, real oregano, and enough oil to do its work. My mother Sofia made the same tray in Thessaloniki when the house was full, though she would have argued with me about the paprika and then eaten the corner potatoes first. A recipe written down is a recipe saved, even when everyone thinks they already know it.