Cast Iron Chicken

It's January, the holidays are over and we're back to the grind. With busy days of work, tyring to keep New Year's resolutions, and reinventing ourselves we still need to find time to make dinner.  I hope you are ready, because I'm about to make it super easy for you.  May I introduce you to my lovely cast iron?  She's (yes, I think it's a female) amazing!  I can't tell you how many great dishes I have made in my cast iron, from the perfect steak to savory scones, roasted veggies, and even brownies.  However, this chicken may take the cake.  

I am not a chicken lover by any means.  I rarely, almost never order it out and I'm super picky when buying it which is why I'm quite partial to Mary's Organic Chicken.  Oh, and those of you being skeptical and judgy over purchasing organic chicken, I promise it won't break your bank.  Besides, knowing where my meat comes from is really important to me.  

I'm a dry chicken hater and this could be the farthest from it.  The basting process, which is super easy, keeps the chicken moist along with a quick sear and finishing in the oven.  When cooking the chicken completely on the stove top you have a pretty good chance of drying out your meat and over cooking.  

I suggest paring this chicken with roasted root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips or a delightful mashed potato.  Well, and of course you should pair it with this great wine from my favorite, Club W.  This Gewürztraminer, unlike chardonnay, is light, floral and fragrant making it a wonderful complement to the sage and butter chicken.  

Cast Iron Chicken with Sage

Ingredients
4 whole chicken legs
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
4-6 sprigs fresh sage (or other fresh herb)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Generously season the chicken legs with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Heat a large cast iron pan over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the butter.  When the butter is about halfway melted add the sage sprigs and stir to infuse the oil and butter.  Add the chicken legs and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.  Using a spoon, carefully baste the chicken with the sage infused olive oil and butter.  Cook for another 5 minutes until browned.  Turn the chicken over and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, and basting in between.  Turn the chicken back over and baste one last time.  

Place the cast iron pan in the oven and bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

***We were not paid to advertise or review Mary's Organic Chicken or Club W.  These are simply our own opinions.

Wine Not??

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Santa was good to you all!  However, if you were a bit underwhelmed by the gifts you received there is still time to make your season bright.  Enter, Club W!

 It's no secret that I'm a wine lover and ordering wine online has been one of the best things that has happened to me this year.  It's like Christmas at your door step every month!

The wine departments at my local grocery/liquor stores were beginning to look a bit monotonous.  While I do have one or two go to wines for dinner parties or a night in with Netflix, I'm always on the look out for something interesting and yummy.  Yes, I said yummy.

Club W is a super affordable (about $13 a bottle) wine club that delivers wonderful easy (sometimes too easy) drinking wines.  The palate test is spot on and so are the wines they recommend for you.  I'm three shipments in and I have yet to be disappointed!  I also love that there is no commitment and if you need a break (but who really needs a break from wine) you can skip a shipment.

Club W is not just for experienced wine drinkers, but is perfect for those of you who are just getting into wine as well.  Not only are the super cute cards they send with your shipment informative with tasting notes and the story of the winemaker, but it also includes a pairing recipe.  This may be my favorite part.  I love pairing wine with food and even more, I love pairing recipes from some of my favorite chefs and bloggers.

Their wines are so versatile that Greg and I have enjoyed our Club W wines on a Tuesday night with dinner and even on our anniversary to end a wonderful evening out in Malibu.  Currently they are offering a sparkling wine pack for you to ring in your New Year.  I made sure all three of these bubblies were in our shipment this month.  We popped the Au-Delà on Christmas Day, a sparkling dry red, and it was perfect for some drinking while we prepped dinner.

Ok my fellow wine lovers, what are you waiting for??  End this year on a merry and bright note.  Go to Club W now and or use my code to get a bottle for free in your first shipment!

Note: If you are living in one of those U.S. states that don't allow alcohol to be shipped to it, go to www.freethegrapes.org to support a change.

***We were not paid to review or feature Club W.  These are simply our opinions.