1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken legs.
2
Heat ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter.
3
When oil/butter is hot, add chicken legs to the pan.
4
Using tongs, brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
5
Pour in wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook for 1 minute.
6
Pour in tomatoes with their juice and add tomato paste.
7
Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine.
8
Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat.
9
Add plenty of fresh herbs (basil, parsley, sage, rosemary), 8 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic, and the chicken legs.
10
Put lid on pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
11
Remove pot from oven and allow it to sit on the counter.
12
Remove lid and check sauce. If it's overly thin, remove the chicken from the pot and boil the sauce on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed.
To serve, pour sauce over cooked pasta, mashed potatoes, etc. then arrange chicken pieces over the top. Sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan and serve with crusty French bread.
