Thai-Style Roast Chicken Pieces with Lemongrass, Red Peppers, and Shiitakes

The chicken takes a while to roast, but with a little bit of planning the night before, this recipe comes together very quickly. It also produces an almost complete meal with the vegetables. I just added a simple side salad. The original calls for a whole cut-up chicken, but I limited it to thighs and drumsticks.

One year ago: Lentils with Tomatoes and Gorgonzola
Two years ago: Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew

Thai-Style Roast Chicken Pieces with Lemongrass, Red Peppers, and Shiitakes (from All About Roasting)

Ingredients
Spice Paste
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp thinly sliced lemongrass
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped (2 tbsp)
1 jalapeno or serrano, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp peanut oil
Chicken
one chicken, cut into 10 pieces
280g shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed, caps halved or quartered
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, ribs removed, and cut into 1/4" strips
1 tbsp peanut oil

1. Combine spice paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree to a coarse paste.
2. Rub chicken pieces with half of the spice paste. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 (I did overnight).
3. Preheat oven to 375 and let chicken come to room temperature.
4. Combine mushrooms and red pepper in shallow roasting pan (9x13). Toss with remaining spice paste and 1 tbsp oil. Place chicken pieces skin side up in pan on top of vegetables.
5. Put in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Stir vegetables. If you're using drumsticks, flip them so the skin crisps on all sides.
6. Continue roasting chicken until cooked through (180F for leg pieces), a total of 40 - 45 minutes.
7. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Stir vegetables to coat with pan juices. Serve with chicken.