Eye for a Recipe

This excellent dish from Food and Drink is simple to make and yields terrific flavour. Place garlic, butter, brown sugar, orange zest and juice in a baking dish, add the chicken, rub the chicken with coriander and bake. The result is tender chicken and a delicious orange and garlic sauce.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Butter can sometimes contain colour, so look for a brand that contains only cream. Check the label on the coriander to make sure it does not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Place ingredients in glass baking dish

Bake until chicken is done

Roasted chicken legs with orange and garlic

Ingredients:

8 whole cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter

1 tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar

1 medium navel orange

4 chicken legs, about 10 oz (300 g) each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander

3 tbsp (45 ml) water, plus more, hot, if needed

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C).

In a large glass baking dish, add garlic, butter and brown sugar. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 4 large strips of zest from orange and add to dish. Halve the orange and squeeze juice into dish; add halves.

Place chicken legs in dish and generously season with salt and pepper. Divide the coriander between the 4 legs, rubbing it into the skin.

Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and increase heat to 450°F (230°C). Remove foil, baste the chicken legs with cooking liquid, stir in 3 tbsp (45 ml) water and return uncovered to heated oven.

Continue cooking until chicken is golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, checking occasionally to avoid burning.

Remove chicken from dish. Carefully squeeze any residual juice from orange halves into cooking juices. Remove orange zest. Using the back of a fork mash up the garlic cloves. Stir the sauce to combine and pour over chicken legs. If needed add 1 tbsp (15 ml) hot water to dish to loosen sauce. Serves 4.

From the Winter 2017 issue of Food and Drink

This jerk chicken recipe from Bon Appetit is quick and easy. Just toast and grind the spices, mix with oil, rub the mixture on the chicken and bake.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Make sure the spices do not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Toast the spices

Grind with a spice mill or mortar and pestle

Mix rub with oil

Coat chicken with the rub-infused oil

Bake until the chicken is cooked through

Ingredients:

1 4-inch (10 cm) piece cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon (15 ml) plus 1 teaspoon (5 ml) allspice berries

2 teaspoons (10 ml) black peppercorns

2 teaspoons (10 ml) whole cloves

2 tablespoons (30 ml) light brown sugar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) plus 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme

1 teaspoon (5 ml) cayenne pepper

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

4 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick)

Kosher salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° F (218° C). Whack cinnamon stick with the back side of a chef’s knife to break into small pieces. Toast cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns, and cloves in a dry small skillet over medium-high, tossing, until fragrant, about 2 minutes; let cool.

Grind spices, brown sugar, thyme, and cayenne in spice mill or with mortar and pestle to a fine powder. Mix oil and 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) spice rub in a small bowl (save remaining rub for another use). Rub chicken legs with jerk spice mixture; season with salt. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 30–35 minutes. Serves 4. Do Ahead: Jerk spice can be made 3 months ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

From Bon Appetit

Here’s a tasty recipe from Canadian Living’s Best Weekend Pleasures that uses inexpensive chicken legs. Marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours and then bake for about 40 minutes. You can serve with or without the sauce, and add more cayenne if you like heat. Serve with curried rice, cauliflower and peas.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the spices to be sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use fresh lemon juice and plain yogurt with no preservatives.

Marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours

Bake in marinade until juices run clear

Indian-spiced chicken legs

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs, skinned

2 tsp (10 ml) ground cumin

2 tsp (10 ml) paprika

1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric

½ tsp (2.5 ml) each cayenne and black pepper

1 onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic

¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

2 tsp (10 ml) sugar

½ tsp (2.5 ml) all-purpose flour

¼ tsp (1 ml) salt

¼ cup (60 ml) plain yogurt

Preparation:

Separate chicken legs at joint. Place in glass bowl and set aside.

In skillet, stir together cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 40 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from heat. Stir in onion, garlic, lemon juice, oil and sugar and pour over chicken, turning to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate from 4 to 12 hours, turning often.

Place chicken, meaty side down, in lightly greased roasting pan. Pour on marinade. Bake in 400-degree F (200-degree C) oven for 20 minutes. Turn and bake, basting with pan juices, for another 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Transfer chicken to platter and keep warm.

Set roasting pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and bring to boil. Cook, whisking, for 30 to 40 seconds or until thickened. Stir in salt and yogurt. Do not boil. Pour sauce over chicken. Serves 6.

From Canadian Living’s Best Weekend Pleasures

This recipe from the April 2015 issue of Food and Wine is definitely dinner party-worthy. You can use chicken drumsticks or drums and thighs. Brown the chicken, sauté bacon, vegetables and mushrooms, add wine and thyme and simmer for about 90 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Canola oil can contain artificial ingredients, so check the label. Use bacon preserved with celery salt, not nitrites. I used a red wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulfite level lower than 10 parts per million. Imagine organic brand chicken stock is additive free.

Brown the chicken legs

Saute the bacon and vegetables

Remove the chicken while you thicken the sauce

Add the chicken back in to reheat

Chicken Legs Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks (2 pounds/1 kg)

Kosher salt

Pepper

3 tablespoons (45 ml) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil

1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped carrot

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped onion

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped celery

1½ cups (375 ml) chopped mushrooms (3 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ cup (125 ml) brandy

1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste

1 bottle dry red wine

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

2 thyme sprigs, plus chopped thyme for garnish

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust all over with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the flour. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the bacon to the casserole and cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cook until reduced by half, 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of flour until incorporated. Add the wine, stock and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until very tender, about 1 ½ hours. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat through. Garnish with chopped thyme and serve. Serves 4. Make ahead: The coq au vin can be refrigerated for 3 days.

From the April 2015 issue of Food and Wine

This one-dish meal from Real Simple couldn’t be easier to make. Toss quartered plum tomatoes, olives, garlic, oil and thyme in a roasting dish. Then add chicken legs and roast for about 40 minutes. The chicken is tender with crispy skin, and the tomatoes, olives and garlic are caramelized. I used thighs and drums instead of whole legs, and 1 tsp (5ml) dried thyme instead of fresh.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I use the garlic-stuffed green olives from President’s Choice, which are free of additives and preservatives.

Nestle the chicken legs into the mixture of tomatoes and olives

Roast about 45 minutes

Saucy baked chicken legs with olives and tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 pound (500 g) plum or small tomatoes, halved if large

½ cup (125 g) pitted green olives

8 cloves garlic, quartered

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs

Kosher salt and black pepper

Bread, for serving

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425° F (218° C) with a rack in the highest position.

Toss the tomatoes, olives, garlic, oil, and thyme in a 3-quart (3 L) baking dish.

Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pepper. Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, in the vegetables.

Bake until the chicken is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest leg (avoiding the bone) registers 165° F (74° C), 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with the bread. Serves 4.

From the October 2014 issue of Real Simple