Roast chicken legs with orange, red onion and broccolini
Serves 4 · 1 hour 15 minutes · Frying pan with detachable handle
Chicken legs, potatoes and orange in a single pan. The skin is crisped on the hob, then you take off the handle and let the oven do the rest.
Roast chicken legs with orange, red onion and potatoes is an easy one-pan dinner cooked entirely in a frying pan. Brown the skin well on the hob first, roast at 200 °C, and add the broccolini for the last 10 minutes so it keeps its colour and bite.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 whole chicken legs (about 1 kg)
- 600 g small waxy potatoes
- 2 red onions
- 1 orange
- 200 g broccolini (Tenderstem broccoli)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Pat the chicken legs dry and rub them with 1 tbsp of the oil, the paprika, salt and pepper.
- Halve the potatoes, cut the red onions into wedges and the orange into slices. Lightly crush the garlic cloves, leaving the skins on.
- Heat the remaining oil in the pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken legs skin-side down and leave them undisturbed until the skin is golden and releases, 8–10 minutes. Lift them onto a plate.
- Toss the potatoes, red onion, garlic and rosemary in the fat in the pan and season with salt. Sit the chicken legs on top, skin-side up, take off the handle and put the pan in the middle of the oven.
- Roast for 25 minutes. Take the pan out using oven gloves, tuck the orange slices in between the potatoes and roast for another 10 minutes.
- Arrange the broccolini around the chicken, drizzle with a little oil and roast for a final 10 minutes, until the juices run clear and a thermometer reads at least 80 °C next to the bone.
- Squeeze a few of the roasted orange slices over, spoon over the pan juices and serve straight from the pan.
Why it works
The chicken is browned and roasted in the same pan, so the caramelised bits end up in the juices rather than in the washing-up. Carbon steel handles both high heat on the hob and the oven once the handle is off, and the potatoes brown against the hot steel base.
FAQ
How do you know when chicken legs are cooked?
The juices should run clear when you pierce the thickest part. With a thermometer, look for at least 80 °C next to the bone, which is also when the meat comes away easily.
What can I use instead of broccolini?
Ordinary broccoli in small florets or fine green beans work just as well. Add them for the last 10 minutes.
Can a carbon steel pan handle orange?
Yes, a few orange slices for a short time are fine. Move any leftovers to another dish after the meal so the acid does not sit in the pan and wear the seasoning.
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