Rule Number 6

There is a story with a few variations that goes like this:

Ronald Reagan & Mikhail Gorbachev were having an all day meeting discussing affairs of state.  Suddenly an aide burst in, shouting and stamping and banging his fist.  Gorbachev quietly said, “David, remember Rule Number Six.”  David was instantly restored to complete calm, apologized for the interruption, and left the room.  They resumed their discussion.  Several minutes later, another person ran in, shouting and stamping.  Again Gorbachev said, “Please remember Rule Number Six.”  They calmed down immediately, apologized, and left the room.

Reagan then piped up and asked the simple question “I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this.  What is this Rule Number Six?”  Gorbachev laughed and said, “Ahh – Rule Number Six – it’s simple ‘Don’t take yourself so darn seriously.’” 

After a moment of pondering, the Regan said , “What, are the first five rules?”

Gorbachev smiling said, “There aren’t any.”

A rule that I try to live by.

There is some serious flavor in this dish.

A simple recipe.

Prep the potatoes.

Spice the chicken and put it all in the same baking dish.

Out of the oven.

Savory!

Spanish Chicken and Potato Roast

prep 0 hours 5 minutes ∙ cook 0 hours 35 minutes ∙ makes 4 servings ∙ difficulty Easy ∙ source M.foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6 thighs)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
• 2 large or 3 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place a large cast-iron baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Put the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe baking dish and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, pierce the plastic in a few places with a knife and microwave 8 minutes to partially cook.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 tablespoons parsley and the lemon juice; toss to coat. Set aside.

Remove the hot baking dish from the oven; carefully add the potatoes and spread in an even layer. Scatter the onions on top. Roast until the potatoes start to brown, about 12 minutes.

Flip the potatoes and lay the chicken pieces on top, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl; return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 more minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Per serving: Calories 452; Fat 14 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 141 mg; Sodium 882 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 39 g