This is my 19th week of staying at home due to the Corona virus. I haven’t cooked this much since my children were little. Occasionally I worry about what to cook, but I always find new stuff to dig my heels into, I always buy new cookbooks, I’m always on the hunt. Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israli chef that a while back came out with a cookbook named Simple that looks very interesting. He has just recently won a James Beard Award for this one, so you already know it’s different, and of course very, very good. You don’t have to ask me twice to cook something yummy out of his pages. I picked the following recipe because I love olives and capers, and the addition of dates and molasses was intriguing to me, I had no idea what it was going to taste like! Well, it was delicious! Unexpected and delicious.
Please note that this recipe requires the protein to be marinated to 24 hours or more.
What you’ll need:
- 4 – 8 chicken legs (depending on the size)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 6 tbsp capers plus 2 tbsp of their brine
- 4 1/2 oz Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tbsp date molasses (standard molasses works as well)
In a large nonreactive bowl, combine garlic, oregano, vinegar, oil, olives, capers, dates, and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper. Add the chicken, and gently mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 24 – 48 hours. Stir a few times while marinating.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread the chicken legs out on a medium high-sided baking pan, along with the marinade ingredients. Whisk together the wine and molasses, and pour over the meat. Place in oven, and bake for 50 minutes, basting two or three times, until the meat is golden brown on top, and cooked through. Remove from oven and serve with a side of your choice.
Bon Appétit!
For more info on Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi click here
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