MacGyver had an experience with chickens at a young age.  A traumatic experience.  As a result, he does not eat chicken very often, but he will eat it when I make it this way.  Not a French recipe, but a delicious, American favorite.  The recipe for this sauce also works well to make Shredded Chicken Barbecue Sandwiches, which I will post another day.

To begin, roast chicken legs and/or thighs on a broiler pan or on something so that they will not be lying in the grease.  Roast longer if the pieces are bigger.  Not so long if they’re not.

This is what they will look like in the oven.  The one second from the left has a nice bubble.  Yours may or may not have a bubble.  Hear the sizzle…

While chicken is roasting, mix up the barbecue sauce.  If you have a barbecue sauce that comes in a bottle that you love (love the sauce, not the bottle), then by all means use that.  That’s one way that barbecue sauce is like wine.  A pretty bottle  or a fancy label does not necessarily indicate good flavor.  I like to make my sauce so it’s just as sugary or vinegary as we like it and it is so easy to make your own.  You use the sauce you like.  It’s your chicken.  Feel free to add to the sauce – honey, jalapeños, Liquid Smoke, or any other flavor that pleases you.

Baste the chicken once.  Bake.

Add more sauce and bake a little longer.

Right about now, you’ll want to taste it because it smells soooo good.  Be careful.  It’s hot!  Have lots of napkins ready.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons molasses
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon mustard
• 1/2 medium, sweet onion chopped (Sweet is my preference, you may use a yellow onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Simmer all but the last two ingredients, uncovered for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.  Taste and add anything you like – salt, pepper, paprika, chili pepper, red pepper flakes, etc.

Preheat oven to 425°.  Place 12- 18 chicken legs and/or thighs on broiler pan and roast 25 – 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 375 and remove chicken from oven.  Dip each piece of chicken in barbecue sauce until covered and return to broiler pan.  Bake for five minutes.  Take chicken out and re-coat it with spoonfuls of sauce or pastry brush.  Cook five minutes longer.

Remove from oven and if you have any sauce leftover, feel free to spread more on. Let the chicken rest for about five more minutes while sauce thickens.  Serve and enjoy!