Ithacan Tserepa

Cut the chicken into portions.

In a bowl, prepare a mixture of salt, pepper, crushed garlic and olive oil, and rub it well over the chicken. If time allows, leave it to marinate from the night before so that it absorbs all the aromas.

The next day, spread fresh tomatoes in the baking tray, some grated and some sliced. Add the tomato paste, dissolved in a glass of local Ithacan white wine, along with the lemon juice. Continue with the green peppers cut into rings, then add the chicken, mixing everything well.

Then add the potatoes cut into wedges, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with sapsycho and oregano. Add as much olive oil as needed so that the dish roasts properly and turns beautifully rich.

There is also an alternative version of tserepa, without potatoes and red sauce, in which garlic, sapsycho and lemon take centre stage, giving the dish a simpler, more aromatic flavour.

Bake the tserepa covered, traditionally over wood fire or embers, for about two hours, until the chicken is tender and the ingredients have come together.