Long before vintners stored wine in bottles, or even barrels, they used tall jars called amphorae sealed with pine resin. Resin may also have been added as a preservative. In any case, the flavor the resin imparted survives today in a curious Greek wine called retsina. To make retsina, a simple red, white or rosé is flavored with resin, exactly as it would have been done in the age of Homer. The resin gives the wine a fresh, woodsy pungency that makes it highly refreshing on a hot summer day. Retsina goes great with chicken, which gave me the idea to grill a bird on a beer can filled with it. To complete the Greek theme, I marinate the chicken in retsina and oregano and serve it with a Greek “salsa,” which is nothing more than the ingredients for a Greek salad, cut small.
Tip: Retsina can be found in a well-stocked wine shop or liquor store in a Greek neighborhood. The wine is available as a red or rosé, but the white works best for this recipe because it doesn’t discolor the chicken.
Advanced preparation: 1 to 3 hours for marinating the chicken
1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Greek
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for rubbing the chicken
1 bottle retsina (preferably white)
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Greek “Salsa”
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably oak), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained
1. Prepare and clean bird as you would for the Basic recipe, step 2.
2. Place the onion, garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep nonreactive bowl or large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken.
Pour out 3/4 cup of the retsina and set aside. Pour enough of the remaining retsina in the bowl or bag to cover the chicken and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 1 hour, preferably 3 hours, turning the bird several times so it marinates evenly.
3. Make the rub: Put the salt, mint, pepper and remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oregano in a small bowl and stir to mix. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin.
Sprinkle the outside of the bird with the remaining rub, and rub it all over the skin.
4. Proceed to cook as with the Basic recipe, steps 4-7. Serves 2 to 4.
