Chicken with Lemon, Garlic & Oregano

By ruthg

Don't forget the lemony pan juices when you serve these roasted drumsticks from Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite (Hyperion). Though the tangy, garlicky dark meat remains moist and fragrant, it's the juice that completes the dish. Spoon it over side dishes and crusty bread for an extra treat.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed (but use a lot)
• 5 garlic cloves
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Details

Adapted from grandparents.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the broiler. Rinse the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel, and place in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Broil the chicken, turning once, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
2. While the chicken is broiling, make a garlic paste by either using a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic with 1 teaspoon kosher salt or mincing the garlic with a heavy knife, then using the flat side to smear and mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Alternatively, you can make the paste in a blender, if your blender can handle such a small amount. Stir the lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper into the garlic paste.

3. Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Using a pastry brush or spoon, slather the chicken on all sides with one-third of the garlic mixture, a sprinkling of the oregano, and a drizzle of oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, slathering on more of the garlic mixture, oil, and oregano in two more additions (approximately every 7 to 10 minutes). The chicken is done when it’s golden brown and cooked through. Serve with the pan juices or the tasty sludge on the bottom of the pan.