From the menu of: Marlow’s Tavern

A: As it turns out, Marlow's Crispy Grilled Chicken includes their Garlic-Kale Pesto, so we were able to help two readers at once. The dish is no longer on the menu, but Marlow's Tavern's executive chef and founder John C. Metz was happy to provide the recipe. At the restaurant, each serving was a half chicken. We've modified the recipe so a whole chicken serves four.

Marlow’s Tavern’s Crispy Brick Chicken

1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken, cut in half

Chicken Marinade (see recipe)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup 1/4-inch diced zucchini

1 cup 1/4-inch diced yellow squash

1 cup blanched asparagus spears

12 grape tomatoes, cut in half

4 tablespoons Garlic Kale Pesto (see recipe)

1 cup Lemon Anchovy Broth (see recipe)

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 tablespoons capers

In a large bowl, cover chicken with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

When ready to cook, drain chicken and discard marinade.

Heat grill until very hot. Lightly oil grates.

Sprinkle marinated chicken with salt and pepper and arrange on grill, skin side down. Place a foil-covered brick (or other weight) on top of each chicken half to make sure skin is in close contact with grill. Cook chicken 3 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees, replace weight and cook 3 minutes more. Turn the chicken, replace weight and cook for 3 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees, replace weight and cook until chicken reaches 165 degrees at the thickest part of the breast.

While the chicken is cooking, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add garbanzo beans, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus. Saute until heated through. Add grape tomatoes and pesto. Season to taste. Add broth and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until broth has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and stir in capers. Cook until capers start to sizzle. Remove from heat.

Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter. Remove chicken halves from grill and cut in half so one half has the wing and the other half has the thigh. Arrange the chicken over vegetables and garnish with fried capers. Drizzle with remaining olive oil from the skillet. Serve immediately. Serves: 4

Per serving: 587 calories (percent of calories from fat, 55), 44 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 35 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 111 milligrams cholesterol, 778 milligrams sodium.

Marlow’s Tavern’s Chicken Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. If not using immediately, put in a jar, cover and refrigerate. Will keep up to 2 days. Makes: 1 cup

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 68 calories (percent of calories from fat, 94), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 201 milligrams sodium.

Marlow’s Tavern’s Garlic Kale Pesto

1 whole garlic bulb

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup thinly sliced onions

Salt

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped (about 8 cups, lightly packed)

1 bunch parsley, stems removed (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wrap garlic in foil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake garlic until bulbs are completely soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and unwrap bulb. Allow to cool. Squeeze cloves into a small bowl, discarding peel. Mash cloves. You should have approximately 1/4 cup roasted garlic puree.

While garlic is roasting, in a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have turned golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. You should have approximately 1/2 cup.

In a large saucepan, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water nearby. Add kale and cook 6 minutes or until kale is tender. Drain kale and put in ice water to cool quickly. Once kale has cooled, drain and squeeze dry.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine drained kale, caramelized onions, roasted garlic puree, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning May be used immediately or made ahead and refrigerated up to 2 days. Makes: 2 1/2 cups

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 86 calories (percent of calories from fat, 94), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 82 milligrams sodium.

Marlow’s Lemon Anchovy Broth

Demi-glace is available in small containers at specialty cookware and gourmet shops and at the DeKalb and Buford Highway Farmers Markets.

Any broth not used for the chicken recipe would make a delicious poaching liquid for spring vegetables such as asparagus and new potatoes.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 tablespoon minced garlic

6 cups water

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 tablespoons chicken demi-glace

1/4 cup capers

3 anchovy fillets

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute, stirring, 1 minute. Add garlic and saute, stirring, 1 minute or until garlic begins to turn golden. Add water, lemon juice and demi-glace and bring to a boil. Whisk to dissolve demi-glace completely. Remove broth from heat and add capers, anchovies, salt and pepper.

In the jar of a blender, process broth and seasonings until completely smooth. Cool mixture and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. May be made up to 2 days in advance. Makes: 3 1/2 cups

Per 1/4-cup serving: 24 calories (percent of calories from fat, 75), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated fat), 1 milligram cholesterol, 199 milligrams sodium.