Last weekend I enjoyed a wonderful dinner party hosted by my friends Tom and Meredith in their San Francisco “cottage” apartment. Although it’s not technically a cottage (especially if you are picturing a country farm on the Irish coast), it has the feel of a cottage, with beautiful re-furbished wood floors, older custom-built cabinetry and a huge oven from the 1940s that is still going strong.

We ate out back in their sunroom, overlooking the garden filled with small buds showing early signs of spring. It was a perfect, relaxing scene with great friends and great wine, and things only got better when Tom served his delicious tender and moist chicken.

It was one of those moments when after the first bite you immediately want to know the recipe, the technique and the secret to creating such a perfect dish so you can make it at home. Luckily, Tom was willing to share his secret (herby marinade, high heat) and his recipe source (Chef Cindy Pawlcyn – Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook).

In my opinion (and I think Tom and Meredith would agree), Chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s cookbooks are a must-have for your cookbook shelf and her restaurants are a must-stop if you are in Napa. Her chicken recipe requires a bit of forethought since the chicken really shines when it has marinated for about 12 hours, so make the marinade the night before and then add it to the chicken the next morning. The secret to this recipe is high heat, so don’t be afraid to crank your oven up as high as it can go.

Tom’s Lemon Garlic Chicken

(adapted from Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook)
Serves 4 (with leftovers)

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette
2 heads garlic
4 lemons, peeled (removing all pith and membrane) and seeded
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, tarragon (whatever you have on hand), minced
¼ cup minced shallot
¼ teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Chicken
1 (2-3 pound) chicken, quartered
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons butter

To Prepare the Vinaigrette/Marinade:
Pull the heads of the garlic apart and peel the cloves. Place the lemons and garlic in a small saucepan and cover with water (just enough so they float). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain, then puree the lemons and garlic in a blender. Add the herbs, champagne vinegar, and shallots, then blend until they are incorporated. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Place the vinaigrette in a mason jar.

To Prepare the Chicken:
Place the chicken quarters on a cutting board and lightly season with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a ziplock bag and add about half of the marinade. Remove the air from the ziplock bag and seal. Gently massage the chicken pieces so the marinade is thoroughly mixed in. Refrigerate for 6-12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 500°F (you want a hot, hot oven). Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in an ovenproof sauté pan (I prefer cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and brown until crispy, about 4 minutes. Turn to sear chickens on other side for another 4 minutes. Flip the chicken again so they are skin side down and place in the oven. Once the sauté pan is in the oven, weigh down the chicken with another cast iron sauté pan (or a clean, heavy brick wrapped in foil). Roast for about 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the juices run clear.

Serve alongside mixed greens tossed with the vinaigrette. Add the remaining vinaigrette to the chicken as a light sauce.