Walk into the Belmont Tavern in Bellville, New Jersey and the intoxicating smell of chicken savoy—a skillet-roasted bird laced with garlic, herbs, and red wine vinegar—hits you immediately. We attempted to get the recipe from several staffers but gave up after chef-owner Annette Wroblewski said, "If I tell you, then we'd have to kill you on your way out the door." We’re proud that our version comes extremely close to the original.

Ingreadients:

•  One 3–4-lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• ⅓ cup finely grated pecorino
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
•  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Direction

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 500ºF. Season the chicken generously with salt and set aside. 
2. In a small food processor or mortar and pestle, blend the pecorino, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the oregano, thyme, and garlic to a paste.
3. To a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until browned on one side, 6–8 minutes. Turn the chicken, then use a spoon to smear the skin with the paste. Bake until browned and cooked through, 20–25 minutes. 
4. To the hot pan, add the vinegar and spoon it over the chicken until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Serve the chicken from the skillet or transfer to a platter.