Nigella's Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

Nigella Lawson is a breath of fresh air. If you watch her cooking show, then you know what I mean. Her passion for food and cooking is so refreshing and energizing. It's almost as if that passion is contagious and you catch a little bit of it every time you watch her. I especially love the poetic way that she talks about food, in the most passionate and flirty prose, and yet...while Nigella's words are fancy, her approach to cooking is anything but. Nigella's recipes are always simple, fun, family-friendly, and pleasing. If there could be only one Domestic Goddess, then it is Nigella.

Nigella's Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes has been on my "to-make" list ever since her book Nigella Kitchen came out. I decided this was going to be THE DISH when I found some gorgeous pastured Berkshire pork chorizo links at the farmer's market and voilà  ...it was meant to be!  Who doesn't absolutely love chorizo and all the orange goodness that chorizo shares with everything it touches? A truly inspired one-pan meal that can be put together in no time and then placed in the oven for an hour while you attend to other things? A beautifully hued and family-pleasing meal with loads of flavor and barely any cleanup? If your answer is me, me, and me then this is the dish for you! A quick and easy simple salad on the side and we happily gobbled this one up!

Nigella's Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

Adapted from Nigella Kitchen

by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

Nigella says, "Much as I love to have a pan bubbling away on the stove, I often feel that the most carefree way to feed people is by taking the oven route. When I'm frazzled, I firmly believe that a "tray-bake" is the safest way to go. Enjoy the easefulness of the oven: you just throw everything in, and you're done. I think I'd go to the supreme effort of laying on a green salad as well but, other than that, you may kick up your flamenco heels and enjoy the fiesta."

1- 2 tablespoons olive oil

6 chicken legs or thighs, with skin and bone still on

1 pound of chorizo links, cut into 1-1/2" chunks

1 pound baby red potatoes, halved

1 red or yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

grated zest of half an orange

salt and pepper, to taste 

Note: I chose to halve Nigella's recipe so I could fit everything into my cast iron skillet. Originally this recipe was doubled and placed onto two sheet trays. Either method would work fine, depending on how many you needed to serve, and/or which cooking vessel you preferred.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Put the oil in the bottom of a large cast iron skillet or baking sheet. Rub the skin of the chicken with oil, then turn skin-side up. Place the chopped chorizo and halved potatoes in the skillet with the chicken. Sprinkle the onion in and the oregano over. Grate the orange zest on top.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. You can bake it this way or you can toss the mixture to combine. I tossed the mixture to combine. Cook at 425F for 1 hour, basting the contents with the orange-hued juices. Serve in the skillet and enjoy!

*If you happen to be local to central Kentucky, I highly recommend looking up Goldfinch Farm and/or visiting them at the Franklin County Farmer's Market. They are doing a great job with their sustainable farm and have the highest quality and most delectable pasture raised Berkshire pork you will ever put in your mouth!