• Wash hands thoroughly before starting, lathering with soap and rinsing under running water.
• Preheat oven to 375°F, using the roast setting if your oven has one.
• Wash sweet potatoes and cut into long, thick rectangles.

  Place them on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.

  1⅓ pounds sweet potatoes
• Peel and wash the onion. Cut it in half and then slice each half. Distribute the slices among the sweet potatoes on the sheet pan. Drizzle potato pieces and onion slices with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and toss to coat.

  Spread in an even layer.

  1 onion
• Combine Kosher salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle potatoes with about half of the mixture.

  1 teaspoon Kosher salt ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Place chicken legs on top of sweet potatoes, skin side up. Rub with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Season with the remaining spices. Roast for 20 minutes.

  2 pounds whole, bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
• Remove sheet pan from the oven and place date quarters throughout the mixture. Return to oven and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers 165℉ when inserted in the thickest part.

  5 ounces Medjool dates

Lemon Parsley Gremolata

• While the chicken finishes roasting, place the parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic halves in a tall high-sided container suitable for use with a stick blender, or use a mini-chopper or a personal blender.

  Pulse until the ingredients are chopped. Pour in the EVOO and pulse again until semi-emulsified but not liquified.

  Season with salt and red pepper flake (optional) for added kick.

  ½ cup flat-leaf parsley 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 Tablespoon lemon zest 1 clove garlic ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil pinch salt pinch red pepper flakes
• Divide the chicken and sweet potato mixture among plates. Spoon a generous Tablespoon of Lemon-Parsley Sauce over each serving, or place it alongside, so guests can serve themselves.