Mediterranean garlic chicken thighs

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 6 chicken legs
• Salt
• pepper
• 6 lemons
• ⅛ liter olive oil
• 4 bulbs of garlic
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 kg potatoes
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 10 sage leaves
• 15 basil leaves
• 600 g cherry tomatoes
• 125 g olives, dried black
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• 2 pinches of chili powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 50 minutes

a super delicious recipe – makes you want to make a double portion

Wash the chicken thighs and pat dry, then rub them all over with salt and pepper. Squeeze 4 lemons (yields 1/8 l juice), add the same amount of olive oil (1/8 l) and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Blend the liquid until creamy. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish, just enough to fit. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Sprinkle with 3 rosemary sprigs and 10 sage leaves and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (I’ve let them sit for 2 days, turning them three times). Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Celsius (480 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-1.5 cm cubes. Heat a pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and roast the potatoes, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes. Meanwhile, very finely chop the needles of one rosemary sprig, the leaves of the thyme sprigs (lemon thyme can also be used), and one garlic clove. Remove the potatoes from the oven, season generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 2 pinches of chili, and mix with the rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Set aside. Halve or quarter the tomatoes, depending on their size, and pit the dried olives by halving them. (Please do not use olives preserved in oil or other brine, as this will negatively affect the flavor of this dish.) Place the chicken thighs, along with the marinade, rosemary sprigs, and sage leaves, in a baking tray. Halve the 4 unpeeled garlic bulbs crosswise and place them between them. Then add the tomatoes and olives, and finally, arrange the fried potatoes among them. Press the olives slightly under the ingredients (hide them), otherwise they will quickly become “crusty” in the oven. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven to 220°C (fan), top each chicken thigh with two slices of lemon, and let them sizzle for another 25-30 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, sprinkle everything with finely chopped basil leaves, and serve. For an even more sophisticated twist, remove half of the garlic cloves from the bulbs, mix them with the marinade, and use a hand blender to create a sauce with chicken stock and/or white wine. Or serve a baguette and have guests press the garlic cloves onto it and sprinkle it with a little salt. It’s up to your imagination.