Chicken gams a la Betty Grable

The name of this recipe means absolutely nothing – it’s just a bit of whimsy from my addled brain.

I spent 24 hours sorting out in my mind what I wanted to do with a package of chicken legs (5 in total) I got at a bargain price at Safeway. First of all, I brined them. Now I know none of you (that I am aware of) brine your chicken or pork. It’s just something I’ve gotten into the habit of doing. In enhances flavor and moistness. It is certainly NOT essential, but, what the heck, why not try it? This time I added tarragon and red pepper flakes to the brining liquid. I won’t be telling Peter that part until he chomps down on his first leg and says, “ooh, that’s good”. He’s fussy about tarragon, although whenever I use it without telling him he’s pleased with what I put before him.

The other experimental part of this was the use of our convection toaster oven. We use the thing almost exclusively for making bread crumbs and croutons and for heating dinner plates or bowls. It’s a good piece of equipment and I decided it was time to put it through its paces.

The little oven did well, but didn’t particularly speed up the process. The total cooking time was pretty much what it would have been in the regular oven. They were, however, very tender and moist. And (egad) Peter knew about the tarragon.

Chicken gams a la Betty Grable
5 (or more) chicken legs, brined for 3-4 hours, rinsed and dried
olive oil
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
cayenne pepper
salt and tarragon (if you don’t the brining thing)
2 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cut a slit in each side of the drumsticks. This improves even and more rapid cooking. Rub each leg with some olive oil. Rub some black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and tarragon on them and into the slits.

Put the legs into a shallow roasting thing and cover them with foil. Put them into the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil, increase the heat to 350 degrees, drizzle them with the melted butter, and roast an additional 30-45 minutes until they are cooked through and somewhat browned.