[citybutch]

I'll start!


Tonight's dinner is:

Tuscan Style Sauteed Chicken

1 chicken leg (per person), rinsed under cold water and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large garlic clove (per person)
Some fresh rosemary leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling on chicken
1 large lemon, quartered (per leg)


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 °F (190°C).

2. In a large roasting pan, arrange the chicken legs skin-side down, but not cramped together. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken well, leaving the chicken skin-side up. (Don’t skimp on the salt: you should be able to see it clearly on the meat but it shouldn’t look like a heavy snowfall.)

3. Smash the garlic cloves well and tuck one beneath each leg. Sprinkle the rosemary around the pan and again, don’t skimp. Drizzle some olive oil over all, squeeze fresh juice from the quartered lemons over all, and tuck the lemon pieces in among the chicken pieces. If the chicken legs are small, add a small slosh of water or wine (white or red) to the pan to maintain a little moisture until the legs begin to give up their own juices.

4. Place the pan in the oven and roast the legs for 50 to 60 minutes, checking the pan after 25 or 30 minutes. (If the meat is very lean you may need to add some more liquid to the pan so that the meat doesn’t get dry.) The chicken skin should be well browned and crispy; the leg joint should be loose. Test by grabbing one end of a drumstick with tongs and piercing the meat with a sharp knife: the juices should be clear, and when you cut into the meat it should fall off the bone.

Usually this chicken won’t require a sauce, but if your chicken is lean, you can deglaze the pan with a little wine or water, swirl in a little butter, and pour the reduced sauce over the meat. Let the legs rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

I served this with Roasted Asparagus drizzled with Hollandaise Sauce and baby green salad with balsamic dressing. Lovely.