Today it is officially SPRING!!!
This is my favorite time of year. I love seeing all the flowers and trees bloom out. The air is cool (for a while...this is southeast Texas, so it is short-lived), and a little breezy. The birds seem to be chirping a little happier. It is truly God's Perfection!
This is also just about the time of year that I am ready for something other than soup, gumbo, and stews. I am ready for something lighter and fresher. I love the combination of lemon with chicken so I started looking for a good recipe. I follow the blog Annie's Eats which is where I got this recipe. I, as usual, did a little tweaking but I basically followed her recipe and it was superb, easy and is definitely one I will be using a lot.
At the end of the cooking process, I decided to use the drippings to make a gravy. It was out of this world delicious. You could serve the sauce over the chicken, mashed potatoes or rice...just a little added bonus!
This recipe called for only skin-on thighs or drumsticks but there are a few in my family who prefer only white, breast meat so I threw a couple of those in there, as well. I personally love the thighs. They are particularly good in this recipe because they are moist and juicy...gosh, my mouth is watering! I think this would be good on the grill too! The smokiness from the grill would just enhance the flavors of this dish! I think I will make this again this weekend...maybe on the grill now that the weather is nice!
HAPPY SPRING Y'ALL!!
LEMON CHICKEN
2 tablespoons Lemon Zest
1/3 cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed (substitute lemon juice does not have a place here)
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/3 cup Olive Oil, delicate taste
2 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves,
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-4 pounds of Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on
2-3 tablespoons Melted Butter
Thinly Sliced Lemons for Garnish
PREHEAT OVEN TO 425 DEGREES
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oil, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.
 |
| If you do not have one of these little zesters, I highly suggest you buy one. I use it not only for zesting but for grating parmesan cheese, as well. Such a handy little gadget! |
 |
| This little gadget makes juicing fresh lemons a snap |
 |
| Mince the garlic...this garlic press makes things so much easier |
 |
| Strip leaves from thyme sprig |
 |
| Strip rosemary leaves by running your fingers the opposite way the rosemary is pointing. |
 |
| Mince the Rosemary |
 |
| Add the Rosemary to the other ingredients |
 |
| Add 1/3 cup of oil |
Shake to blend and add chicken.
Press out excess air, coat chicken, and place in refrigerator and let marinate for at least 2 hours.
Place chicken pieces in a large pan and reserve the marinade.
Brush with butter and place, uncovered, in the 425 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.
After about 25 minutes, pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken and place back in the oven until skins are crispy and well-browned.
Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving platter.
Garnish with lemon slices and serve!
SAUCE:
Pour liquid from pan or dish into a saucepot.
If you feel like there is not enough liquid, you can add some Campbell's Chicken Broth.
In a measuring cup or something with a pour spout, place approximately 1/4 cup of cornstarch and enough warm water to make a liquid similar to heavy whipping cream. Pour slowly into pot, stirring constantly until thickened.
Remove from heat.
Serve over chicken, mashed potatoes or rice.
ENJOY!
No comments:
Post a Comment