Chicken Vesuvio

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C for 15 min. Pat the chicken very dry with kitchen paper, including under the skin, and rub part of the salt and pepper and half the oregano all over it. Scrub the potatoes, leave the skin on and cut each lengthwise into 8 wedges, then pat them dry. Peel the garlic and crush each clove lightly with the flat of a knife.

   Add in this stepBone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 150 g each; drumsticks can be mixed in) 4Salt ¾ tspBlack pepper ¼ tspDried oregano ½ tsp

   oven

2. Heat half the oil in a 26 cm oven-safe skillet (cast iron or stainless steel, with a metal handle) over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken in skin side down and leave it alone for 7 min, until the skin is deep golden and releases from the pan by itself, then move it to a plate; it does not need to be cooked through yet. If the pieces don't fit with a finger's gap between them, brown them in two batches. The fat spits, so keep your arms back.

   Add in this stepOlive oil (for cooking) 1½ tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the rest of the oil and lay the potato wedges in on a cut side. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper and cook for 8 min, turning once, until two sides are golden. They can still be firm inside.

   Add in this stepMedium potatoes (about 200 g each) 2Olive oil (for cooking) 1½ tbspSalt ½ tspBlack pepper ¼ tsp

   medium heat

4. Lower the heat to medium-low heat. Push the potatoes to the edge, put the garlic and the rest of the oregano in the middle and stir for 1 min, until fragrant and pale golden (burnt garlic turns bitter). Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, letting it bubble for 2 min to cook off the raw alcohol, then add the stock.

   Add in this stepGarlic cloves 6Dried oregano ½ tspDry white wine 120 mlChicken stock (low-salt) 100 ml

   medium-low heat

5. Set the chicken on top of the potatoes skin side up; the liquid should come up around it but not over the skin, so the skin stays crisp. Put the skillet into the oven and roast at 220 °C for 32 min. If your pan cannot go in the oven, move everything into a roasting tin at this point.

   oven

6. With oven gloves, take the pan out, scatter the peas into the liquid between the chicken pieces and return it to the oven for 5 min more at 220 °C. It's ready when the juices run clear from the thickest part near the bone and a thermometer reads at least 75 °C (thighs are most tender around 80 °C), and a knife slides easily into the potatoes.

   Add in this stepFrozen peas 100 g

   oven

7. The handle is extremely hot: wrap it in a dry towel so nobody grabs it, and let the dish rest for 5 min. Scatter over the parsley and serve the chicken, potatoes and peas with plenty of the garlicky wine juices spooned over. Crusty bread for mopping is traditional.

   Add in this stepFlat-leaf parsley, chopped 2 tbsp