Roasted chicken legs with winter vegetables - Vital signs: news and trends for your well-being

Natural Health, April, 2004

An incomplete version of Nora Pouillon's recipe was published in the February 2004 issue. It's such a marvelous dish, it deserves to be reprinted in its entirety. Enjoy!

roasted chicken legs with winter vegetables

Serves 4

This dish can be prepared with a small roast of pork, veal, lamb or beef. Lamb and beef, usually served medium rare, need less time to cook than pork or veal; the vegetables will then require precooking or finer dicing.

4 chicken legs, cut into drumsticks
2 large carrots (3/4 pound), peeled and cut
  into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 small new potatoes (3/4 pound)
8 baby turnips, trimmed and
  cut into quarters
8 baby beets (1/2 pound) or parsnips, peeled,
  quartered or sliced
4 ribs celery (1/2 pound), cut into
  1 1/2-inch pieces
4 shallots, peeled and separated
4 heads garlic, the top third trimmed off
4 tsp olive oil
4 Tbsp mixed chopped herbs, such as
  rosemary, thyme, oregano and/or parsley
  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock or white wine
  celery leaves for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350[degrees] F.

2. Put the chicken, carrots, potatoes, turnips, beets, celery, shallots, garlic and 3 tsp of the oil into a large bowl. Season to taste with the chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Oil a 9-by-14-inch roasting pan with the remaining oil. Remove the chicken legs from the bowl and place them into the baking dish.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of the stock or wine into the baking dish. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, turning it once so it will brown evenly.

4. Add the seasoned vegetables and the remaining stock or wine to the roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are nicely browned and cooked through.

5. Assembly: Divide the vegetables and chicken among 4 warm plates. Pour the accumulated juices over the meat and vegetables. Garnish with celery leaves.

PER SERVING: 430 calories, 28% fat (13 g; 3 g saturated), 42% carbs (45 g), 30% protein (32 g), 11 g fiber, 205 mg calcium, 432 mg sodium.