Herb-Stuffed Roasted Chicken Legs

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

As a professional caterer and cooking teacher, I love to cook! When I’m not busy with work, you will often find me experimenting with new recipes and throwing dinner parties. After all these years in the profession, cooking is still one of my favorite things to do in my spare time and I find spending time in the kitchen fun and relaxing.

However, just like everyone, there are times when I am exhausted from work and the last thing I want to do is spend even more time in front of the stove. All I want to do is prepare a quick dinner and kick back on the sofa with a glass of wine.

But as a chef, even when I am tired, I still want to eat something delicious. For me, this never means heating up a frozen dinner in the microwave. Instead, I have developed a good repertoire of easy recipes with big flavor that I never get tired of eating.

One of my favorite go-to dinners is Herb-Stuffed Roasted Chicken Legs. I make this recipe at least a couple times each month. Chicken legs have much more flavor than chicken breasts, with only a bit more fat. I like chicken legs still on the bone and with the skin on because they don’t dry out in the oven, and the skin gets nice and crispy. To add even more flavor, I mix together some garlic, fresh herbs and lemon zest to stuff under the skin.

I often cut up some sweet potatoes to roast in the oven at the same as the chicken, and then serve both with a big green salad. With just a few minutes of prep time and about 40 minutes of baking time, I’m chilling out with a glass of wine and a great-tasting dinner. Enjoy!

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Herb-Stuffed Roasted Chicken Legs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Grated peel of 1 lemon
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, about 12 ounces each
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 425°F.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme and lemon peel. Place chicken on a sheet pan. Work your fingers under the skin of the chicken legs to loosen the skin from the flesh. Stuff each leg under the skin with half the garlic mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper, and coat each leg with olive oil.

Place chicken in oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until cooked through and skin is crispy and brown.

Serves 2

Recipe by Jennifer Knapp

Jennifer Knapp is a San Francisco Bay Area caterer and a teacher at the renowned Tante Marie’s Cooking School. She has lived in the Bay Area for many years, and has worked in several aspects of the food industry, including restaurants, private cheffing and food marketing. Even when she is not working, you can often find her cooking for friends, checking out farmer’s markets and food trucks and discovering great new places to eat! Visit www.jenniferknappcatering.com for more information or email Jennifer at knappjennifera@gmail.com

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