As I was considering flavorings for another dish of chicken legs, I noticed a beautiful fresh bundle of sage, and the quest was over.
Sage belongs to the mint family, but has a wonderful, unique warm aroma. It is quite different than most herbs in its texture, which is soft and velvety. It is, therefore, an herb which is mostly used in cooking or frying, rather than eaten fresh. It is also great as a soothing herbal tea.
As I’m very fond of roasting chicken with lemon, garlic and olive oil, I added them, with a few thick cut new potatoes, to the sage, with a minimal seasoning of salt and pepper, in order let the sage flavor and aroma shine. A couple of hours of marinating helped the flavors mix with the chicken and potatoes. After roasting, the chicken was succulent and with a crispy skin, while the potatoes got a tasty lemony and garlicky flavor – and both had the wonderful sage aroma.
The dish is very quick and easy to assemble and serve. Add a fresh green salad on the side, for a light summer lunch or dinner, and enjoy.
Makes: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours
Roasting time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
3 whole chicken legs (2.1 lbs (950 grams)), bone in, skin on, preferably air chilled
1 Tbs salt
½ tsp freshly ground four peppers mix
A generous handful of fresh sage, roughly torn
1 large juicy lemon, washed and dried
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
6 medium new potatoes, unpeeled, roughly sliced
½ cup olive oil
1. Line a roasting pan with foil and baking paper. Separate the chicken legs into thighs and drumsticks, and place in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and add the sage.
2. Juice the lemon and then cut half of it into thick slices. Add the lemon juice, cut lemon, garlic and potatoes to the pan. Mix and pour the olive oil over. Mix again, and arrange the potatoes in one layer, at the bottom of the pan, with the chicken on top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.
3. When ready to roast, bring to room temperature. Arrange some of the lemon slices over the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400F (205C). Roast for 50 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are golden-brown.
I need a second refrigerator for marinating things! ;-> This looks fabulous!!! I loves me all that lemon!!! I put ground sage in a lot of dishes, but haven’t tried fresh to marinate like that. I have one of those vacuum sealer gizmos that has a marinating container as part of the set (for about 20 years and counting!), but I haven’t been motivated enough to use it. Such a sloth I am!
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Thank you Judie, I’m glad you liked the dish. Lemon rules!
Marinating is fairly short on this one, but I also wouldn’t mind having another fridge… 🙂
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I have lots of sage in the garden, but sometimes I forget to use it in the summer! I need to remember it is there while the basil and tarragon are yelling at me to use them!
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How great it is to have such fresh herbs from the garden. Sage is indeed a more modest and shy herb than most, but it’s worth noticing! 🙂
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I do love it one potatoes as well, so very nice recipe.
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Lemon is wonderful, especially balanced with fresh sage. 🍃🍋
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I’m addicted to lemons, so always try to come up with new ways of using it. The pairing with sage was a very successful one. Will definitely use it again soon. 🙂
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I only wish my husband liked it as much as I do. 😜
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More for you! 🙂
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Right?! 😜🍃🤣
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With all those chicken juices dripping down over those potatoes they gotta be delicious! 🐷
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You’re so right Blaine, with all the chicken juices, lemon and olive oil, the potatoes turned out so delicious! 🙂
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A favorite dish – chicken, lemon and potatoes with different herbs. I’ve used thyme and oregano as well as sage… 🙂
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Same here Judi, especially in the summer.
Thyme and oregano would definitely work well here, and also rosemary, which is my favorite for such a dish. This time the sage was so amazingly fresh, that I had to use it, and was glad I did. It added such a unique aroma. 🙂
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Of course rosemary – I need to make this is my slow cooker… 🙂
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Chicken meat matches very well with lemon and sage. I like it! 🙂
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Thank you Luisella, I’m glad you liked the dish. Chicken and lemon is such a great combination! 🙂
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Sage is such a great idea, Ronit! I’ll try your marinade next time with chicken breasts.
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Thank you Dolly, I’m glad you liked the dish. I usually use rosemary in such dishes, but was hooked by the freshness of the sage, and it worked so well! Hope you too will enjoy it. 🙂
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Yes, I also usually use rosemary. Let’s see how The Boss likes sage in the marinade, rather than in the words of a song.
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lol It will be interesting! 🙂
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Will report.
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Love this recipe, and I have tons of sage. I typically don’t cook with it much – I’ll add giant bunches of it to brine mixtures. but I love what you did here. Fabulous!
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Thank you Mimi, I’m glad you liked the dish. I too don’t use sage as often as I use other herbs, but was very happy with the unique aroma it gave the chicken and potatoes. 🙂
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Wonderful to see the preparation steps and it turned out really nice!
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Thank you Nisha, I’m glad you liked the dish and found the photos helpful. 🙂
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Glad to read your recipe as I also have big clumps of sage in my herb garden. And altho’ it is a very popular herb amidst Anglo-Saxon cooking I also do not make nearly enough of it as its flavour does not meld as easily with the other herbs I use. Lemon, garlic and oil are there naturally, so . . .as I rarely eat potatoes shall find another carb side . . . best . . .
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Thank you Eha, I’m glad you liked the recipe. You’re lucky to have fresh sage from your garden. I don’t use potatoes very often, but they work best in this recipe. 🙂
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Ronit – these exchanges are proving to be a huge learning experience to me ! I live close to Sydney and not in the tropics . . . it is mid-winter here and we are ‘freezing’ . . . today’s top temp is 19 C . . . except for basil all herbs flourish the year around . . . best . . .
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Looks gorgeous! I have masses of safe growing in my garden so always looking for ways to use it.
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Thank you Alison, I’m glad you liked the dish. I’m sure it would be even tastier, with freshly cut sage from your garden! 🙂
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Wonderful recipe!! Can I have one bite😋
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Thank you Tina! Wish I could send some! 🙂
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Yeah!! That would have been great 😋
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Sage! Not just for Thanksgiving anymore! I like harmony shared by the sage and lemon.
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Thank you Bob, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Sage is a wonderful herb, with may uses. It indeed pairs so well with lemon. 🙂
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Great recipe, now I can really tell you have some Italian blood!!
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Thank you Matteo, I’m glad you liked the dish. I am definitely leaning towards anything Mediterranean when it comes to food! 🙂
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This recipe reads so flavourful especially with fresh sage, lemon and garlic…so good Ronit!
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Thank you Shy, I’m glad you liked the recipe. This combination of flavors was very tasty. 🙂
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Delicious !!!
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Thank you Saritha. 🙂
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Awesome recipe!
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Thank you. 🙂
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I grew sage in my New England gardens and it is the perfect herb to cook with chicken. Your dish sounds like a great pairing of delicious flavors.
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Thank you Karen, I agree – sage is really so perfect with chicken, and worked so well here, with the lemon and garlic and olive oil. Definitely a keeper! 🙂
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That looks great! I love sage!
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Thank you Kelly, I’m glad you liked the dish. Sage is such a wonderful herb! 🙂
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This looks so tasty!
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Thank you, it really was! 🙂
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And btw, use it! It’s great!
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I love cooking with fresh sage and this is a great delicate balance of flavor.
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Thank you John, I’m glad you liked the recipe. Sage is such a wonderful herb. 🙂
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That sounds wonderful! All the flavors I love!
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Thank you Kelly, I’m glad you liked the dish. It was very tasty. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂
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