Lemon Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

Are you looking for an easy weeknight meal? Try this wonderful chicken dinner! It is simple to put together, and my family approved of it heartily. It would be a fine dish for company too. I adapted it from the January 2014 edition of Southern Living magazine. It is a lovely dish that brings to mind a rustic French countryside. The lemon adds a brightness to the chicken, while the rosemary and garlic mellows the flavors into something quite extraordinary. It really is delicious! Serve with a crusty French bread to round out this meal and be prepared for compliments!

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

I like to smash my garlic cloves with the skin on. Take your chef's knife, and give the clove a good smack. The skin should peel right off the clove.

I was never a fan of capers, until I started to rinse them. Now, I love them. If you like them as is, then no rinsing necessary!

Preparation time is 30 minutes. The cook time is 50 minutes. The total time is 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (3.5 ounces) jar of capers, drained and rinsed
2 lemons, sliced
10 cloves of garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, rough chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken legs (approximately 1 1/2 pounds)
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (approximately 2 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds small red potatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, capers, lemons, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Place a roasting pan on stove top over 2 burners. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium/high heat. Sprinkle chicken with desired amount of salt and pepper (I don't use much); place the chicken, skin side down, in pan. Add potatoes. Cook about 9 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken and pour lemon mixture over chicken. Bake at 450 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve chicken with French bread. Six servings.