Christmas Menu: Main - Herb and Lemon Roast Chicken Legs

My family is not a big fan of turkey meat as we find it rather tough and dry. We much prefer chicken, lamb, beef or pork.

Serving roast chicken as a main course for Christmas is becoming more popular these days as families seek out easier recipes to cook for the big day. Besides, who doesn't love a juicy, crispy skinned, beautifully roasted chook? It's delicious, easy to cook and gentle on the wallet. I am just too scared to ask about the prices of a Christmas turkey these days.

This roast chicken recipe is one of my favourite. It is yummy, easy to prepare, and you can modify it in a thousand different variations, depending on what ingredients you have. Feel free to use either a whole chicken or chicken legs (maryland). Marinate the meat for a few hours to allow the flavours to penetrate, then pop it into the oven together with some vegetables that are suitable for roasting, such as pumpkin, potatoes, carrots, onion, zucchini and even eggplant.

Herb and Lemon Roast Chicken Legs
Serves 3

3 chicken legs or maryland
1/2 bulb of garlic, minced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, snipped into 2 inch length
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, snipped into 2 inch length
1/2 large lemon, cut into 3 pieces
Olive oil
Generous sprinkle of rock salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pumpkin chunks for roasting

1. Rinse the chicken legs and pat thoroughly dry.

2. Stuff some minced garlic, thyme and rosemary under the skin of the chicken legs. Be careful not to tear the skin. Scatter the remaining garlic and herbs all over.

3. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken legs and toss in the rind. It will impart additional zesty flavour to the meat when roasting. Add in a generous sprinkle of rock salt and ground black pepper and coat evenly. Let it marinade for at least 3 hours in the fridge.

4. Preheat the oven to 180Celcius. Arrange the pumpkin chunks at the botton of a baking dish, then arrange the chicken legs on top, skin side down. Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken and bake for about 20min until the sides start to burnt a little.

5. Turn the chicken legs over and drizzle some additional olive oil on the skin. Bake for another 10min until the skin is sizzling and has turned a golden brown. Test for doneness with a fork, pierce it into the thickest part of the meat, and check for clear juices. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15min before serving.