Legs even a pinup model would envy

I'm a leg man.

R U? 

Nothing extraordinary here, except extreme efficiency in getting dinner on the table in the midst of an activity spate  (I know that's not how you use the word, but I'm busy, don't bother me). Several chicken legs, rubbed with bottled Cajun seasoning and left to contemplate their lack of navels in the fridge for a couple of hours.  300 degree oven, covered, with a little broth for 2 hours while the spate is being dealt with. (If only the dealing had had to do with blackjack.)

The leg/thigh man strikes again

I rarely buy chicken parts, unless it's a special bulk deal for legs or wings. I prefer to get a whole bird and break it down. Then I also can make some fresh stock. Those of you who read my blog from time to time know what a brining fanatic I am. Only when you have brined a chicken breast for several hours, pounded it flat, breaded and shallow fried it, will you know why I do it. My legs and thighs were brined overnight, a long time even for me. But a thorough rinse and no added salt during cooking are the only rules you need to obey.

Pan-fried chicken legs and thighs

2 chicken legs

2 chicken thighs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika (all to taste)

Heat the oil and butter in a cast iron or other heavy skillet until the butter has melted and is almost ready to brown. Season the chicken with all the dry ingredients and place it skin side down in the pan. Leave it alone for 5 minutes. Turn it. Leave it alone for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low. Tent loosely with a piece of foil. Continue cooking about 10 more minutes until juices run clear.

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.

Indian-style chicken drumsticks

With leftover chard stems and potato salad in the fridge, the choice of protein was yesterday’s question. Answer: a bag of chicken legs in the freezer. So they got thawed and then brined for about 3 hours. I decided on a way to cook them that was novel for me: on the stovetop grill with Indian spices. The package of garam masala from Savory Spice indicated that it is considered a “finishing” spice. So be it. It went on at the end.

Indian-spiced chicken drumsticks
9 drumsticks, skin on
olive oil
ground cumin
black pepper
garam masala

Brine the chicken for 2-3 hours in 3 cups water in which 3 tbsp kosher salt have been dissolved. Rinse and dry.

Cut a ½” deep slit in each side of each leg through the thickest part of the meat. Brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle a couple pinches cumin in the slits and over the legs.

Heat the stovetop grill. Our front and back burners (electric) are different sizes. So I set the front at 5 and the rear at 6. That seems to give me fairly even heat.

Spray the grill with cooking spray. Cook the chicken, turning often, for 30 minutes (if you’re starting at room temperature – highly recommended), or until juices next to the bone are no longer red or pink. After the legs are browned all over, cover them loosely with foil. Apply garam masala when 5 minutes cooking time remains. Let the legs rest for 5 minutes before serving (tented with foil).