OLIVE OIL ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CARMELIZED CARROTS RECIPE

Olive oil roasted chicken with carmelized carrots Recipe image

Provided by pattynorman1947

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 lbs whole chicken legs, or bone in, skin on, drumsticks or thighs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch small thin carrots preferably with their green tops
2 heads garlic, left unpeeled and halved crosswise to expose the cloves
1 lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
1/2 bunch oregano, plus more leaves for garnish
1 cup olive oil

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. If the carrots have their green tops, trim the tops so that the stems are about 1/2 to 1 inch long. Save the greens for garnish or for using in salsa verde or pesto(they can be treated like parsley) Arrange chicken in a large shallow baking dish or shallow braising pot (about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts) so that the legs are snug and lying flat. Scatter garlic head halves, carrots, lemon slices and oregano sprigs among the chicken pieces, nesting everything in there. (It's ok if the carrots stick out a bit)Pour the olive oil over the chicken and vegetables. (Yes, you're using all that oil. Don't worry, it can be repurposed; see Note below) Season again with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, uncovered, and roast until the chicken is so tender it nearly falls off the bone and carrots and lemons are nicely caramelized, 55 to 60 mins. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Divide chicken , vegetables and lemons among plates (or serve straight from the dish it was cooked in) and scatter with carrot tops. If you have them and more oregano before eating. (Remove the leftover schmaltzy olive oil in the baking dish for another purpose) Note: the schmaltzy olive oil can be strained and stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 1 month. Use it to fry eggs, roast vegetables cook more chicken, smear on toast or make bread crumbs.