Oven Baked Chicken with Potatoes - Delicious Recipe

To prepare a delicious and flavorful meal, we start by thoroughly washing the potatoes, choosing the most suitable varieties for cooking, such as red ones or those for mashing. After cleaning them of impurities, we boil them in their skins, thus preserving their nutrients and flavor. When we notice they are cooked for 3-4, meaning slightly tender, we take them out of the water, drain them well, and peel them carefully, being careful not to burn ourselves.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, we place the butter at room temperature, allowing it to soften. Using a wooden spoon, we begin to cream it carefully, so that we eliminate all the water from it, obtaining a fine and creamy paste.

Next, we take care of the herbs. We wash the parsley, rosemary, and thyme well, if we choose to use it, and place them on an absorbent napkin to remove the excess water. After cleaning them of stems, we chop them finely and add them to the creamed butter, homogenizing the mixture well, so that the flavors blend perfectly.

Now, we focus on the chicken thighs. We wash them well and, using a sharp knife, we gently remove the skin from the meat. Using our fingers, we take some of the flavored butter and carefully insert it between the skin and the meat, ensuring that each thigh is well coated. We must not be stingy, as the butter will add extraordinary flavor and keep the meat juicy.

After we finish with the thighs, we arrange them in a baking tray or a Romanian dish, making sure to place them evenly. The remaining butter, flavored with herbs, is spread on the outside of the meat.

The boiled potatoes, now peeled, are cut into quarters or sliced thicker, depending on preferences, and placed around the thighs in the tray. To intensify the flavors, we drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, but we can also add a bit of flavored butter, if there is any left, and a few drops of lemon for an extra freshness.

We cover the tray with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil, making sure that steam will not escape. We place the tray in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) and let it bake for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is perfectly cooked and the potatoes turn golden.

After this time, we remove the aluminum foil and parchment paper and leave the dish under the broil option for a few minutes, so that we obtain a golden and crispy crust. In the end, this dish will be not only tasty but also visually appealing, perfect for a family meal.