Surrounded Sage Chicken

Sage and chicken are a magical combination, and for some reason, I never got to make something with both, until today. As I walked through my local market this weekend, I came across some fresh sage, so it must have been a sign.
Along with herbs such as rosemary, thyme & parsley, sage is considered one of the essentials in the kitchen. Fresh sage can be kept in the fridge up to about 5 days, just wrap it in paper towel and store in the lower part of the fridge.

This recipe is for 2, but or course can be altered accordingly.

2 chicken thighs, with bone & skin
2 sage "branches"
4 large garlic cloves
400 grams of Brussels sprouts
3 small onions
salt & pepper
lard

Cut off the sage leaves, and stuff about 6 leaves per chicken thigh underneath the skin. Add a cut up clove of garlic under the skin as well. Sprinkle salt & pepper on top.
Put the chicken in a large oven dish, cut the stems of the Brussel sprouts and lay them around the chicken.
Cut the onion in quarters and add them to the dish, along with the remaining garlic cloves and sage leaves.
Put a few chunks of lard on top. Heat the oven to 180C (350F)
Preferably, your oven dish has a lid, but you can also cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.

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