Sassy, Flavorful Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

This roasted chicken dish is great all year long, but the flavorful marinade combined with crisp potato slices, crunchy arugula and cool yogurt sauce makes this dish perfect for a hot day in July or August.

Recipe Adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients for 4 Servings

1.5 pounds chicken drumsticks and chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
1.25 pounds small, round potatoes cut into 1/2" slices or coins
2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste (a thick hot sauce)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Olive oil
2 leeks
1/2 cup plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
1 small garlic clove
arugula

Method

Marinate the chicken and potatoes for 6 to 8 hours before you plan to cook. Place chicken and sliced potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the 2 Tbs. Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste with 3 Tbs. olive oil and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the chicken and potatoes and stir/toss to distribute it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Prepare the leeks. Using only the white and light green part of the leeks, cut the leeks lengthwise in half, and then cut each half into thin "sticks". You want long, thin pieces of leek, not round coins or half-moons. Set aside in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook

Cook the dinner! Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. While the oven is heating, remove the chicken and potatoes from the refrigerator. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil (this helps with cleanup). Place the chicken on the foil-lined pan. Scatter the potatoes around the chicken. When the oven is hot, bake the chicken for about 15 minutes. Pull the pan out of the oven and flip the potatoes around a bit to prevent sticking. Continue baking another 10 minutes. Now add the leek strips by scattering them over the pan. Continue roasting another 20 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are well-browned and the chicken has an internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.

Note: I've had to experiment a bit on deciding when to add the leek strips. A little charring is fine, but if they are added too soon, the leeks burn completely. So just be aware of this as your oven may perform differently than mine.

While the chicken is cooking, grate the garlic clove over the yogurt, add a pinch of salt and a little pepper, and stir to combine.

Plate and serve. Scatter a layer of arugula over each dinner plate.  Place chicken pieces and potatoes on top of the arugula, then drizzle the garlic yogurt sauce over everything. Serve with a cold glass of wine.

Enjoy!