"Le Saucy Chicken"

Everyone learns how to cook, from someone or somewhere. For me, I grew up with a mother who couldn’t cook (this has changed over the years) but as a child; If my mother cooked dinner, the dinner bell summoning us to the kitchen, was without fail the smoke alarm. 

I’m not kidding when I say that my mother has burned macaroni and cheese (the kind out of the box). It’s still a mystery, since if you read the directions on the box there’s no heating needed after you strain the macaroni, but not to worry we ate “blackened” mac and cheese that night.

For every rule there’s always an exception, this recipe is one of them. With that being said, here’s a recipe that might just set off the smoke alarm, but it’s totally ok if it does.

Le Saucy Chicken

Le Sauce

1 jar of Apricot Jam (homemade when possible, don't substitute with sugar free jam)

1/2 c Soy sauce

2 tbs Yellow mustard

1 tps Powdered Ginger
1 tbs spicy BBQ sauce
(optional a pinch of cayenne pepper)

Add ingredients to sauce pan, bring to a boil then simmer reduce slightly. 

8 Chicken Drumsticks and 8 thighs (skin on)

Olive oil

Sea salt, ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees

Place chicken drumsticks on a pan covered in tin foil, rub chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 45 mins or until the drumsticks are slightly golden.

Remove from oven, and pour off any liquid in pan. Turn oven to broil. Baste Le Sauce on the chicken skin side up to start, place under broiler for 2 mins or until bubbling. Keep watch on the broiler, portions of the chicken will slightly burn and this is totally fine (just disconnect the smoke alarm like my mom did), remove from broiler, rotate chicken, baste with Le Sauce, broil, repeat… continue for about 8 rotations until done. Skin will be "slightly burned" in spots, serve once fully glazed.

Sides:

Spicy Greens

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

Olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 can of chicken stock

1 bunch of collared greens

1 bunch of brocolini rabe

1 bunch of red chard

In a wok or deep pan, add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Lightly fry the garlic, be careful not to burn. Add greens and chicken broth, simmer until greens are totally wilted and no sauce remains (30 mins). 

Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes

7 medium red potatoes

Olive oil

Sea salt

Pepper

Fresh Rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter red potatoes, so that all pieces are equal in size. Combine ingredients in a large ziplock bag and shake until potatoes are coated.  Bake uncovered until lightly browned.