Roast Chicken Leg Quarters and Mozzarella Toast

About a week to ten days ago, I was working on a project featuring good food ideas for fishing trips. As most fishermen will know, there are certain food types which are simply not practical to take along with you to eat for your lunch or dinner on a fishing trip, especially where you happen to be bait and/or sea fishing. For example, sandwiches which ooze mayo or any other type of filling over your hands when you bite in to them would not be a good idea. One of the suggestions I did come up with in this respect was to have a whole roast chicken the night before a fishing trip and reserve the leg portions for lunch the next day. Alternatively, I suggested that chicken leg portions could be bought individually for this purpose. With this in mind, this recipe is a combination of a really easy dinner for two people and a tasty lunch box idea for a fishing trip the following day.

Ingredients

4 chicken leg quarters (incorporating leg and thigh)
2 1" thick slices from a large white loaf
4oz (approx.) pizza mozzarella
1 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and white pepper

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

Arrange the chicken leg quarters on a roasting tray. Season with salt and white pepper. No butter, no oil - that's it. Place the tray in the oven for forty-five minutes.

When you remove your chicken leg quarters from the oven, it is of course imperative to ensure that they are fully cooked. This is done by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a metal skewer and pressing down gently over the puncture mark with the edge of the skewer. Check that the juices are running clear. If any trace of red or pink can be seen in the juices, put the legs back in to the oven for a further seven or eight minutes and repeat this test. It is advisable to test each leg portion individually in this way. Cover the tray with tinfoil and allow the chicken legs to rest for fifteen to twenty minutes.

The bread slices which I have used here are taken from a large white bloomer. I have cut them at an angle to make them larger. I have allowed only one slice per portion but this is of course entirely down to preference. Begin by toasting the bread on one side only under a hot, overhead grill until golden.

Please note that the mozzarella cheese used here is the type used on pizzas. The softer type of mozzarella, usually sold in ball shapes and in brine would not be suitable. Slice the mozzarella to a thickness of about 1/4" and arrange it on the untoasted side of the bread. Break up the slices as required to evenly cover the bread. Place back under the grill until the mozzarella is melted and just beginning to bubble.

When your mozzarella toast is ready, transfer it to a chopping board and scatter the chopped parsley over the top. Cut each slice in half at an angle and plate along with a chicken leg quarter in each instance. Allow the two remaining chicken leg quarters to cool completely before putting them in a plastic container and refrigerating them overnight. Do not forget to take them with you on your fishing trip the next day!

Chicken Legs Roasted with Mediterranean Vegetables

This recipe is incredibly simple to prepare and the wonderful smells that will fill your kitchen as it is cooking will have you salivating long before it is time to eat. The dish can be made to serve two to four people but if preparing this for four people, you may wish to double the vegetable quantities.

Ingredients

4 chicken leg/thigh pieces
1 courgette (zucchini in USA)
1 large red onion
1 yellow bell pepper
8 cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and white pepper

6 black olives and flat leafed parsley to garnish

Crusty bread to serve as an accompaniment

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6.

The red onion should be peeled and quartered. The bell pepper should be halved, de-seeded and each half quartered in to strips. The courgette (zucchini) should be topped and tailed, cut in half lengthwise and chopped in to one inch pieces. The tomatoes should be left whole but a small slit should be made in the top of each of them to prevent them from bursting in the heat of the oven. Mix the vegetables and spread them out over the base of a large, deep baking tray. Season well with salt and white pepper and drizzle liberally with olive oil.

Lay the chicken leg portions on top of the vegetables. Season and drizzle with more olive oil. Place the tray in to the oven for forty-five minutes.

It is important to check that the chicken is properly cooked. Remove the tray from the oven and pierce the thickest part of each chicken thigh with a metal skewer or fork. Ensure that the juices run clear and that there are no traces of red or pink. If there are, put back in to the oven for another ten minutes and test again. Cover the tray with tinfoil and set aside for ten to fifteen minutes, to allow the chicken to rest.

While the chicken is resting, chop some flat leafed parsley and about six pitted black olives. Slice some fresh bread, which can be used to soak up the delicious olive oil, vegetable and chicken juices.

Use a large, slotted spoon to transfer the roast vegetables to a serving dish (see image at top of post) and lay the chicken legs on top. Garnish with the parsley and chopped olives and take to the table with the bread.