Foodie Fridays: Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

From Reader's Digest

Recently we received a gift order from La Tienda, a Spanish food catalog, that included two packages of miniature Spanish chorizo links.  Having never cooked with these before, I decided to try a recipe from Nigella Lawson that combined chicken pieces and potatoes with these sausages in a fast and easy oven roast.  It was an instant hit, and I will be making it again soon!  I halved the original recipe since there are only two of us, and used chicken breasts instead of thighs since I prefer white meat to dark.  I increased the amount of olive oil and decreased the cooking time by fifteen minutes to keep the chicken moist.  I also added a bag of pre-sliced carrot coins.  While I did not add any extra salt or seasonings to this recipe, as the chorizo has enough of both to flavor the dish for my taste, add some salt and pepper if you like.  By the way, I highly recommend the Tetilla cheese and Galician bread from La Tienda as well -- try toasting the cheese on the bread for a delightful version of a grilled cheese sandwich.  I will definitely be ordering from this catalog again!

Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

1/4 C. olive oil
3 lbs. chicken breast halves (with skin and bones intact), cut in half
1 lb. miniature chorizo sausages, links separated
24 oz. small new potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
1 bag (16 oz.) carrot coins
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Toss the chicken pieces with the orange juice and 2 T. of oil in a shallow roasting pan.  Push to one side, add the potatoes, carrots, and sausages, and toss with another 2 T. of oil.  Spread the potato mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan, then nestle in the chicken pieces.  Scatter the onions over the top.  Sprinkle the oregano over the chicken pieces and top with the orange zest.  Drizzle with more oil.  Roast at 425 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring the contents in the pan juices occasionally.  I like to turn off the oven and let the pan sit in the closed oven for another 15 minutes, since I think this allows more flavor to be absorbed into the chicken and vegetables.  Serves 6.