Chicken and Baby Red Potatoes with Roasted Garlic

So... I had finally gotten straight in my head what I wanted to say in the blog today, and the power goes out for 2 hours! Replaced in my head was: How am I going to get all this stuff done today, and I can't even take a shower? Well, the power came back on and I'm only short two hours. I did manage to check and answer my emails and putter around doing little things here and there. Unfortunately, the golden nuggets of wisdom that were supposed to pour out onto the page this morning are apparently gone forever. Alas all I have for you are a few tips and the recipe... Enjoy!

This recipe feeds a large family... or 5 hungry large men :-)

5 lb pkg Chicken leg quarters (10 pieces)

2 lbs (or 10) baby red potatoes, quartered
3 heads of garlic*, halved
1 pkg pearl onions, or a large onion rough chopped
1 stick butter
garlic powder
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

I used a large buffet pan so I don't crowd the chicken; and it browns well. If you don't have one, just use two large casserole dishes. Loosen the skin on the leg quarters and insert a couple of pats of butter under the skin. This allows the skin to 'fry' in the butter and get very crispy and golden brown. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss in the onion and potatoes, but try to place them to the sides of the chicken so the skin can brown. Bake for about an hour.

*Use whole garlic heads, not cloves. Halve them and throw them in the pan. The cloves will roast nicely and the skins will fall away. They are easy to discard. Toast some nice french bread and spread with the roasted garlic as a wonderful side to this hearty meal.

You can also add any vegetables you want... mushrooms, carrots, squash. What ever you have available. Also if the dish sounds a little fatty, add a few splashes of lemon juice to lighten and brighten the flavors. As always, these are more like suggestions than recipes... Go Wild!!!