BUTTER AND BLACK GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES

Makes 6 servings (with leftovers, too)

Use curry powder (mild or hot) from your favorite spice store, so it is superfresh and brightly aromatic. Alternatively, use the Indian spice blend garam masala and a teaspoon of turmeric.

Rinse chicken under cool water. Pat dry with paper toweling. Put into a shallow dish.

Put yogurt, ginger, garlic, curry, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and cumin in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Scrape over the chicken. Turn to coat the chicken well on all sides. Refrigerate covered 2 hours or up to overnight.

Put the eggplant into a colander and salt it generously. Let drain about 20 minutes, then pat dry. Toss the other vegetables with the olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and have them nearby.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Have a large rimmed baking sheet ready. Remove chicken from marinade; shake the pieces so excess drips back into the bowl. Put the chicken in the center of the baking sheet. Discard the marinade.

Bake 20 minutes. Arrange eggplant and other vegetables around the chicken in the pan. (Don’t cover up the chicken.) Dot the chicken pieces and the vegetables generously with the butter. Return the pan to the oven, and bake until the chicken juices run clear, about 20 minutes for cut-up chicken and 30 minutes for chicken halves. Use tongs to transfer chicken to a platter. Let rest tented with foil. Stir vegetables in the pan to coat them with the pan juices. Return vegetables to the oven and bake until meltingly tender, about 10 minutes. Stir well, and transfer with all the pan juices to a serving dish.

Serve chicken with vegetables and rice, if desired.

462 calories, 51 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 21 g fat (6 g saturated), 146 mg cholesterol, 594 mg sodium