Ingredients
6 whole chicken legs (3 to 3 1/2 pounds total), patted dry
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (from 2 to 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon capers, drained, or rinsed if salt-packed
1 teaspoon minced anchovies (from 2 to 3 fillets)
3 rosemary sprigs (each 4 inches)
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand or pulsed a few times in a blender until chunky
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
3/4 cup pitted mixed olives
Mashed potatoes or creamy cooked polenta, for serving (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium-high. Swirl in oil. Working in two batches if necessary, add chicken, skin-sides down, and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and brown other sides, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.
Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, capers, anchovies, rosemary, and red-pepper flakes to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and broth; bring to a simmer, scraping any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Continue to simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season to taste. Return chicken to skillet, skin-sides up, along with any accumulated juices and olives.
Transfer skillet to oven and braise, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through and liquid is reduced to a thick gravy, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove and discard rosemary. Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.
