About the Recipe
They say Christmas is a time for families but not all families can get together for Christmas. So, this easy recipe is for everyone who can't get back for Christmas but still wants to bring a little bit of the taste of the festive season into their homes.
Ingredients
2 whole chicken legs (skin on)
1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
2 rashers of bacon
salt & pepper
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or equivalent amount of dried rosemary)
8 baby potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
some ‘pigs in blankets’ (optional)
1/4 small red cabbage
1/4 red onion
1/4 small apple
a little salt
1 tsp gound cinnamon
3 tbsp raisins or sultanas
3 tsp brown sugar
3 tsp vinegar
3 tbsp water
8 brussel sprouts
1 tsp salt
for the gravy;
the juice from the roasted chicken legs
60ml water
3/4 tsp salt
a shake of black pepper
2 tsp corn flour
a sheet of aluminium foil for your baking tray
fan oven at 190 C/ for 50 mins* (please adjust roasting time according to your oven)
Preparation
First, prepare the chicken legs:
halve the lemon and cut one of the halves into slices.
slice the clove of garlic into 4 slices.
make 2 cuts into the flesh of each chicken leg, then push the garlic slices into the cuts
next, wrap the chicken legs with a rasher of bacon each. place them into a large bowl or tupperware
season the legs well with the salt and pepper. place the lemon slices on the chicken legs and squeeze the juice from the other half lemon over the legs. (remove any pips that fall out while you’re squeezing.)
add the rosemary and marinate for 30 minutes or more in your fridge
meanwhile, place the baby potatoes in a pan, cover with water and boil for 8 minutes
next, to prepare the red cabbage:
remove the stem from the red cabbage, then slice the leaves into shreds
slice the red onion
remove the core from the apple. slice it thinly and cut into small pieces
place the red cabbage shreds, onion slices and apple pieces into a medium saucepan. add a little salt, the ground cinnamon, raisins (or sultanas), brown sugar, vinegar and the water
cook over a low-medium heat for 15 - 17 minutes with the lid on the pan
next, return to the potatoes:
when the baby potatoes are ready, drain and add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. swirl the potatoes around in the pan so that they get well coated with the oil
now, heat your oven to 190 C / 375 F. (fan setting)
line your baking tray with the aluminium foil. place the chicken legs on the tray and pour over the juices from the marinade. add the potatoes and pour any leftover olive oil from the saucepan over the chicken legs
add the ‘pigs in blankets’ (optional)
check the red cabbage and if it is done, turn off the heat. (there should be little or no liquid left in the saucepan.)
place the baking tray with the chicken legs in your oven and cook for about 50 minutes
meanwhile, prepare 6-8 brussel sprouts by trimming the ends and removing the outer layer of leaves. using your knife, cut a cross shape into the base of the brussel sprouts to help them cook quickly.
bring some water to the boil in a small saucepan and simmer the brussels sprouts with a tsp of salt for 6 minutes, then drain.
when the time has elapsed, take the chicken tray out of the oven. pemove everything from the baking tray onto a plate
next, pour the juices left in the bottom of the tray into a small saucepan. add about 60ml water, 3/4 tsp of salt and some pepper. turn on the heat and quickly sprinkle over the cornflour and stir it into the gravy. once the gravy has thickened (which should only take a minute or less) remove the pan from the heat
plate up and serve your Easy Christmas Lunch for Two with the gravy on the side