Crispy bistro-style baked chicken tails

Ingredients

• 1000 g fresh free-range chicken tails
• 1 piece yellow onion
• 4 cloves white garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ground sweet paprika
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 leaves dried bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Normandy apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp fine Guérande sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground Madagascar black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C on convection and set a wire rack over a drip pan or rimmed baking sheet.
2. Carefully examine each chicken tail and remove the preen gland, a small yellowish bump located on top near the tip, then pluck any remaining pinfeathers with tweezers.
3. Quickly rinse the chicken tails under cold water and carefully pat them dry with paper towels to remove all surface moisture.
4. Peel the yellow onion and cut it into thick wedges, then crush the unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife.
5. Place the onion wedges, crushed garlic cloves and bay leaves in the bottom of the drip pan, then pour in half a glass of water to prevent the rendered fat from burning.
6. Place the thoroughly dried chicken tails in a bowl, sprinkle with fine Guérande sea salt, ground black pepper and sweet paprika, then strip the fresh thyme leaves over the top.
7. Massage the meat with your hands to help the seasoning adhere all over the skin.
8. Arrange the chicken tails on the wire rack without overlapping, with the thickest skin facing up.
9. Bake on the middle rack for 35 minutes at 180°C, until the fat drips generously into the pan below and the meat is tender.
10. Raise the oven temperature to 220°C by turning on the convection broiler and continue cooking for 10 to 12 minutes: the skin should crackle, puff up and take on a beautiful shiny mahogany color.
11. Remove the rack from the oven, immediately drizzle with a splash of apple cider vinegar to awaken the flavors and serve piping hot.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

287.8 kcal

Protein

58.96 g

Carbohydrate

2.54 g

Fat

3.92 g

Fibre

0.72 g

Calcium

16.26 mg

Iron

0.81 mg

Magnesium

8.19 mg