Roasted Maryland of Chicken - Pretty Lunch for One

I was about to make a sandwich for lunch, but it wasn't hitting the spot, so I rushed off to the butcher and bought a Maryland of Chicken Not the Southern Fried chicken usually associated with that name. Instead in this Antipodean part of the world it is the name that Butchers have given to the Thigh and drumstick joint of the bird.

I would much rather eat this cut of chicken than the breast which as we know can so easily be dry and then chewy. Personally I love to eat the meat of the leg and then pick up the bones and have a good gnaw on them. Its the primitive in me, I believe. I then, have the insane desire to throw the bones over my shoulder but I have resisted that. So far.

Anyhow back to lunch. There is nothing nicer than Roast Chicken, roasted of course, "Skin On".
I haven't given specific amounts, you can't really go wrong with any proportions of these ingredients.
Go for it.
I picked some Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and chopped the leaves with the zest of a lemon,
1 small shallot, some sea salt, good grind of black pepper 
All mixed up with a little good olive oil.
Chop away till almost a paste and then push this beautifully aromatic mixture under the skin of the leg.
Rub on a little more oil,  sea salt and pepper.
Sit on a bed of fresh herbs and another shallot to make a little rack for the roasting.
Add 1/2 cup chicken stock ( this helps to steam the chicken and keep it moist while the skin is meanwhile crisping up. Yum)
Gosh my mouth was watering. Is there anything better than the aroma of Roasted Chicken in your kitchen?
I had to eat a peach while I was waiting, to stave off the hunger pains.
This will take about 35 - 40 minutes till the juices run clear
Rest for at least 10 minutes.


Meanwhile make a pretty little salad.
I used Iceberg lettuce. I'm sorry, not fashionable but I love it, really crunchy
Bright red radish sliced
English Cucumber, sliced
1 x tomato quartered, de-seeded and sliced, reserve the seeds for the dressing
Spring onions, chopped

I love using the seeds of the tomatoes, to retain the juice.
Just squeeze them through a tea strainer or small sieve
This juice, makes a good base for a dressing
Season it with a pinch of sea salt, ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar.
This delivers a very intense tomato flavour.

I then turned this into a dressing with 2 tbs of Extra virgin Olive oil
2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar
Stir well and dress your salad.
Cut your perfectly roasted chicken in two
Plonk on top of the salad.
Isn't that marvelous?

How healthy is that...even with the Skin on?