Kitchen Tales: Mediterranean-style roasted chicken

I suppose the question on everyone's lips during this worldwide pandemic is, how are you holding up? In reality, not much is being asked of us. We have to stay home to stay safe. But I can understand how difficult that might me for some people. Even for me - and I notoriously love to stay at home. It is usually not much of a sacrifice for me. But these days it seems as if all that has changed. I miss running my errands, peeking into shops, visiting my parents and, I can't believe I'm saying this, going to work. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that we all miss the liberties we took for granted. The worst thing is that none of us are certain when we will regain them. Uncertainty can cause anxiety and I am sure, that at one point or other, it will visit all of us.

As I've said in my previous post, I am able to work from home, so my kitchen routine has not changed all that much. I am not cooking more meals like some of you are, just the daily evening meal. During the day we eat leftovers or a quick sandwich. But, I try to make the evening meal special - even if it's just an easy recipe. And it doesn't get more easy than this Mediterraean-style Roasted Chicken recipe that I am sharing with you today. This is one of the first meals I ever cooked when my husband and I were married. The recipe came from a magazine, a Woman's Own or Woman's Weekly, back in the mid-90s (which seems like two lifetimes ago). I had thrown out the magazine but kept the recipe because I realised how easy it is to make - and I love easy recipes that don't take too much time to prepare after a day at the office (or the home office now).

It is a really tasty meal and the flavours blend together harmoniously. The rosemary and the chicken work really well together and the coarse sea salt really helps to enhance the taste. To be honest, I had stopped making this dish for a while and this year I 'rediscovered' it. Does that ever happen to you? I tend to do that quite a bit, make things regularly and then get tired of them, giving the recipe a wide berth for a while. Then when I make it again, it's like discovering something new.

If you make it, let me know how it goes. Hopefully, it will become one of your favourite recipes too. I also think it's one of those easy recipes you can make when you have company because you can prepare it and then pop it in the oven. I don't like to make traditional vegetables with it but a fresh zingy salad, maybe with rucola, capers and citrus, is always a good addition. 

Mediterranean-style Roasted Chicken

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil

4 small drumsticks (legs)

4 boneless chicken thighs

2 red onions, peeled and cut into eight

16 small new* potatoes, quartered

50g/2oz black olives (green work just as well)

3 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried

2 tsp coarse sea salt

2 tsp groun black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220C/424F or Mark 7. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan (sometimes I use 2). Add the chicken pieces, garlic opnions and potatoes. Fry for 8-10 minutes over medium heat.

2. Remove ingredients from the pan and place in a roasting tin. Add olives, rosemary and tomatoes and mix well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Roast for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

*I sometimes use regular potatoes and they cook just as well as long as you cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Please continue to stay safe and keep the blog posts coming. It helps inject some sanity into these weeks of isolation.