Blustery Day Dinner

What happened to "in like a lion, out like a lamb"? March is not living up to its image. On this first day of Spring we are battling huge winds and sideways rains. This calls for some comfort food. And since its allegedly "Spring" I'm thinking bright and sunny lemons might fit the bill of fare. But in a savory, slow-simmered kind of way befitting this blustery day.


Chicken with Roasted Lemons has become a family favorite; the slow braising of the chicken in a tangy sauce made from chicken broth and white wine, with capers, green olives, and the secret ingredients - roasted lemons and garlic,  makes for a hearty and flavorful dinner.  


So let's get started.


Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sheet. Brush them with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Roast until slightly dry and beginning to brown around edges.

While they're roasting, season the chicken pieces, dust with flour and fry til golden brown on all sides.

Set aside the chicken, pour off any excess oil and deglaze the pan with the broth and white wine.  Add the olives, capers, thyme and roasted garlic.  I just squeeze the cloves out over the pot. Messy but finger-licking good!

Return the chicken to the pan and place the lemon slices on top. Simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.

We enjoy this with a brown rice medley that includes wild rice.  Tried it with pasta - great for capturing the sauce.  I think some tummy warming garlic mashed potatoes would be scrumptious too!

Oh yes, we liked it. A. Lot!


Here's the recipe:

Chicken with Roasted Lemons

Ingredients

Roasted Lemons

·         12 thin lemon slices (from 2 lemons)

·         One head of garlic

·         Olive oil

Chicken

·         4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves or 8 bone-in pieces of your choice

·         All purpose flour, seasoned with salt & pepper, seasoning salt

·         5 tablespoons olive oil

·         1/2 cup sliced pitted green Sicilian olives or other brine-cured green olives

·         2 -3 tablespoons drained capers

·         2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

·         1/2 cup white wine

·         3 sprigs fresh thyme

·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

For roasted lemons and garlic:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sheet. Brush lemon slices with olive oil; sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Roast until slightly dry and beginning to brown around edges, about 25 minutes.

At the same time, place a head of garlic in oven prepared for roasting by cutting top off, drizzling with olive oil, wrapping loosely in aluminum foil.  When lemons are done, raise oven temp to 400°F and continue roasting garlic another 25 minutes. (Lemons and garlic can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to container. Cover; chill.)

For chicken:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour to coat both sides; shake off excess. Heat 5 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Brown in batches if necessary.

Set browned chicken aside, drain off excess fat from pan. Add stock and wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet, stir in thyme, olives, capers and the roasted garlic (squeezed from the head).

Reduce heat, return chicken and any accumulated drippings to pan, add roasted lemon slices, simmer low and slow until liquid is reduced to syrup consistency, about 5 minutes, add 2 tablespoons parsley; continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes, if boneless (or 15-20, if bone-in). Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

·         NOTE:  The number of chicken pieces is totally up to you; just adjust the quantity of liquid and seasonings to balance with the amount of chicken.  This recipe is based on about 8 pieces of bone-in chicken.