Roasted Chicken Legs with Potatoes and Kale - 5 stars

i was so excited about this dish that i forgot to take a picture of the finished product. hahaha. oops. the picture above is from before it went in the oven.

i do wish i had a higher rating than 5 stars though. this is the BEST dish i've made recently, and there have been a lot of good ones. when i compare the effort involved to the flavor produced, it makes it even better!

the recipe also made a HUGE meal. i told tony that someday when we have game day again, i'll have to make this. it can feed a lot of people. i *could* double the recipe for game day since we do tend to eat a lot, but i don't think i'd have anything to cook it in if i did. the skillet in the left of the picture is a 14" wide 4" high skillet - originally, i thought everything would fit fine in there. it did, until i added the kale. 1 1/2 lbs (3 large bunches) of kale is a LOT.

i tossed the kale together with 1 1/2 lbs sliced yukon gold potatoes, 1 sliced yellow onion and a bit of olive oil. i didn't have whole chicken legs, just a mixture of thighs and drumsticks. i put them on top of the kale mixture, sprinkled paprika, salt and fresh ground pepper on top, covered the pans with foil and put them in the oven for 20 minutes. i removed the foil and cooked for another 35 to 40 minutes.

about the cooking temp and time... the recipe called for roasting in the top third of the oven at 450 degrees for the entire time (20 min covered, 30 min uncovered). about 10 minutes into the uncovered cooking time, the kale started burning. no one likes burnt kale! i moved the pans to the center of the oven and reduced the temp to 425. it took ~ 7 minutes longer this way, but it came out perfectly.

the kale had this crispy, but melt-in-your-mouth texture. the closest thing i can think of that it reminded me of is phyllo dough, the way it's so light and flaky and a bit crispy, but still melts in your mouth? ooooh. oh yum. the juices from the chicken dripped down over vegetables and gave them such a rich, decadent flavor. i was in heaven. i ate two servings. i couldn't stop. it was so good! i'll be enjoying a nice long run after work today to make up for it. :-)

please, try this dish sometime. even the crappiest cook is guaranteed to be successful with it. :-)

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds tender, young kale, stems and inner ribs removed
2. 1 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3. 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
6. 8 whole chicken legs (about 10 ounces each)
7. 1 teaspoon paprika
8. Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. In a very large roasting pan, toss the kale, potatoes and onion with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.
2. Set the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down. Slice halfway through the joint between the drumsticks and thighs. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the paprika and set on top of the vegetables.
3. Cover the pan with foil. Roast the chicken in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the vegetables alongside. Serve with lemon wedges.