Soy-Maple-Glazed Chicken Legs with Summer Squash, Leek, Spinach & Parmesan Gratin

Friday and Saturday Jim attended Dance Regionals. So, I did not have to cook. Saturday I made an individual mushroom pizza for dinner, using a Boboli crust and portabella mushrooms. I was going to add shrimp but watched a movie instead. I got a lot done. Sunday as I have painting on Monday is always hectic I have to cook and wash clothes. Hoping for seconds on Monday. The chicken legs were easy and good, the Gratin was a lot of work and I was shocked, but I did not like it. It was oily and salty. The chicken legs I picked up at a WW meeting. Apparently someone copied it out of a magazine called Dinner Special. Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 C maple syrup
• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2# chicken legs, split, if legs and thighs
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 C coarse fresh breadcrumbs (can be from 2 English Muffins)
• 1 1/2 C coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 7 oz.)
• 1/2 C EVOO
• 2 1/2 T coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt (1T divided) (Way too much!!)
• 4 large leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4†thick slices
• 2 t minced garlic
• 6 oz. baby spinach
• 2# summer squash cut crosswise on the bias into 1/4†thick slices
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the syrup, soy sauce, vinegar and 1 1/2 T of sat and 3/4 t pepper. Toss the chicken with the marinade and let stand for 20 minutes.
3. Place the chicken along with the marinade on and aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and roast until golden brown and cooked through, 40-45 minutes.
4. Place a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub a 4 qt. shallow baking dish with a little butter. (15†X 10†X 2†Pyrex dish is fine)
5. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 1/4 C of the Parmigiano, 2 T of the oil, 2 t of the thyme, and 1/2 t salt. Stir well to combine, and set aside.
6. In a large, heavy-duty nonstick skillet melt the 2 T butter with 2 T of the oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and 1/2 t salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
7. Uncover, raise the heat to medium , and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the leeks are shrunken and browned in places, about 6 minutes more.
8. Add 2 t thyme and the garlic, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Carefully add all of the spinach to the pan and toss with the leeks until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer the leeks and spinach to the gratin dish and use a spatula to smooth into an even layer.
9. Put the sliced squash, the remaining 4 T of oil, the remaining 3 1/2 t thyme and 2 t salt in a mining bowl. Add several grinds of pepper, and stir until the squash is thoroughly coated.
10. Beginning at one end of the gratin dish, arrange a down of slightly over lapping squash slices, slightly propped up against the edge of the pan. Sprinkle with Parmigiano, using about 1 1/2 T per row of squash.
11. Do a second layer on top of the first and again sprinkle with the parmigiano. Shrink or spread the rows to accomplish using all the squash.
12. Drizzle whatever liquid is left in the mixing bowl over the vegetables, and sprinkle them with the remaining parmigiano.
13. Drizzle with a bit of oil. Cover the top with the breadcrumb mixture.
14. Bake until the squash is tender and top of the gratin is deep golden about 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking for even browning.
15. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.