Master the art of baking perfect crispy-skinned chicken legs

My neighbour is a master of baking meats. She used to do it professionally, now she cooks for family and friends. Her recipe for baked chicken legs is an absolute hit. The genius of this recipe lies in its simplicity. There's no need to fuss to create a restaurant-quality dish.

Crispy on the outside and juicy inside - preparing perfect chicken legs isn't daunting, but it's incredibly easy to slip up. It's essential to marinate the meat in a bit of fat (which contributes to the crispiness of the outer layer) and your favourite spices before baking. My neighbour mixes several readily available spices, and finally, she adds a sprig of rosemary to the meat. That's the secret to its fantastic taste.

Then, the meat needs to be baked - initially covered, and then uncovered, so the top layer can nicely brown. After removing the dish from the oven, it's beneficial to let it rest for a few minutes covered, to even out the temperature inside the meat.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of chicken legs,
• 2 sprigs of rosemary,
• ground sweet paprika, dried garlic, basil,
• salt, pepper,
• olive oil.

Preparation:

1. Wash the rosemary. Chop half of it finely.
2. Mix salt, pepper, chopped rosemary, ground paprika, dried garlic, basil with olive oil. Rub this mixture onto the chicken legs.
3. Arrange the legs in an ovenproof dish, adding the rest of the rosemary.
4. Cover and insert into an oven preheated to 180°C for 30 minutes.
5. After this time, remove the cover and bake for another 30 minutes.
6. Once done, remove the chicken legs from the oven, cover, and set aside for about 10 minutes. They will then be ready to serve.