Chicken Bottoms with Eggplant, Olive and Potatoes

It's rare that I post a real Shabbat recipe. Mainly because I like to cook my dinner closer to Shabbat instead of on Thursday or even Friday morning because I feel that its fresher and less likely to get burned from over-cooking. This makes it harder to post because once sundown comes, most people are shutting down their electronics or at least putting them to bed in their charging cradle for the weekend. So of course I am posting the leftovers, but man are they delicious!

Now, I will be the first to admit that I cannot stand handling chicken. Chicken is one of those things that I hesitantly look at and just wish I were a vegetarian. It has feathers on it sometimes, there's cartilage in places I don't particularly care for, and it is so oily that just touching it makes my skin crawl. That being said, I do really love chicken once it's been prepared properly (according to my husband that's at least 500 degrees in the oven for at least an hour). My favorite way to cook chicken is on the grill but since its too cold for that method, I roasted it in the oven instead. Roasting chicken is most probably the preferred method, and for Shabbat it is the most traditional. 

The best part of the chicken in my opinion is the bottoms. Its the thigh and the leg together and I mean, aren't those the best two pieces of the chicken anyway? I think so. I know in my family all the kids want is the leg and all the sophisticated adults want are the thighs! Every time I make this dish I use a variety of different spices and vegetables and it always turns out great. Use what you and your family like and just don't add too many flavors. Two vegetables and some spices will be plenty, trust me. Lets get to cooking!

Chicken Bottoms with Eggplant, Olive and Potatoes 

1 Package of 4 Chicken Bottoms (Thigh and Leg)

2 Medium Eggplants, sliced into medallions

6 Small Potatoes, quartered

2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbs. Aleppo Pepper (or more if you like it extra spicy)

Freshly Cracked Salt and Pepper

10 Cloves of Garlic, smashed

4 Tsp. Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. To ensure a crispy skin on your Chicken, make sure it is completely dry before adding it into the pan. Drizzle 1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 1 Tbs. Aleppo Pepper on the Chicken. Place a few smashed Garlic cloves under each piece (this will add a great roasted garlic flavor to the dish). Spread the Kalamata Olive Tapanade on top of the chicken. Add the bottoms to the roasting pan at 425 degrees for ten minutes. After ten minutes remove from the oven and add the vegetables along with the rest of the spices and another drizzle of olive oil. Continue roasting until the Chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Enjoy!