Lunch: Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes

Ingredients

1 7-pound roasting chicken
6 tablespoons olive paste (olivada)
2 bay leaves
Olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
4 medium russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
Fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 °F. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast and legs to form pockets. Spread 4 tablespoons olive paste over breast and leg meat of chicken. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons olive paste in cavity of chicken. Place bay leaves in cavity. Tie legs together to hold shape. Rub olive oil into chicken skin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Place chicken in large roasting pan.
Place potatoes in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons thyme. Add potatoes to pan with chicken. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 °F and roast 1 hour longer. Add olives to pan. Continue roasting until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 10 minutes.
Transfer chicken to platter. Surround with potatoes and olives. Sprinkle with additional thyme. Pour chicken pan juices into large cup and degrease. Serve chicken, passing pan juices separately.

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