Truthfully, I don’t know where to begin. How to describe the very best chicken leg you’ve ever tasted? How to communicate its delicate tenderness? How to memorialize the scents of garlic and rosemary wafting from the kitchen to the living room?
I believe a song is in order.
me circa 2010
Just kidding, I won’t do that to you. I was just so moved by this meal. I’ll do my best to paint its picture.
The ingredients are few and require very little prep. Chicken legs, which include both thigh and drumstick, took a little searching for me, since Trader Joes doesn’t carry them. I found some at Whole Foods. The chicken is covered with salt and pepper and placed in a deep baking dish. A head of garlic cut crosswise, several sprigs of rosemary, and tiny potatoes join the chicken. Alison says the potatoes should be no larger than a quarter, but I couldn’t find such small potatoes. Instead, I cut my baby dutch potatoes in half. And as is customary with Alison’s chicken recipes, the pan is absolutely drenched in olive oil. (Thank goodness my mother-in-law shares her Costco membership with me. I’m going through so much olive oil these days.)
The pan is baked for 1.5 hours over a low temperature. By the time it was done, the smells of garlic and rosemary had fully permeated my entire apartment, and I could barely stand waiting any longer for the meal, but I resisted digging in for one more crucial step -- to crisp up the chicken skin by searing the legs skin-side down in a pan over high heat. The extra effort and wait is so worth the crispy exterior to such fall-apart, tender meat underneath.
The garlic cloves turn soft and buttery, ready to spread over each bite of chicken before dipping it into sour cream. I will eat this meal over and over again for many years to come. Such little work, and a good deal of patience, creates a truly inspirational meal.
41 recipes cooked, 184 to go.
