Cold-weather dishes that taste deliciously rich, yet fit into a healthy lifestyle, are welcome right now.
The garlic lemon chicken is slowly cooked in fresh lemon juice on top of the stove, imparting a deep rich flavor into the flesh as well as the dark brown skin. It’s a perfect dish to offer on a buffet table, because it tastes good at room temperature, or in a picnic basket later this spring as it will taste as good as when you first make it. Add crispy baked potatoes and steamed broccoli to complete the main course.
The boneless chicken breasts remain moist and tender because they are quickly browned in a skillet, and then finished in the oven on a bed of moist leeks and fennel. Feel free to experiment with other herb and vegetable combinations to suit your taste. Brown rice pilaf made with chicken stock works perfectly well with the dish. Add Brussels sprouts to complete the meal. Bon appétit!
“Braised” Garlic Lemon Chicken(Serves 6 with leftovers)Two 2-1/2- to 3-pound frying chickens, rinsed and patted dry
6 to 7 large cloves garlic, minced with sea salt
Juice and zest of 2 large lemons
2 teaspoons summer savory
2 teaspoons thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons, washed and thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnish
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnishTo prepare:Split chickens in half, by cutting on both sides of the backbone to open them up.
Remove the backbone, tail and the large breastbone membrane, reserve for stock or discard.
Split the wishbone and cut in half lengthwise, or quarter the chicken so it will fit into a skillet.
Tuck the wings back, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub garlic inside the cavity, under and over the skin. Sprinkle with herbs, salt, and pepper.
Place the raw chicken in large glass shallow dish, drizzle with generous amount of lemon juice, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least one hour. Better yet, marinate it over night.To cook:In two large heavy skillets over high heat, add oil and when it shimmers, add the marinated chicken, skin side down in the skillet.
Place parchment paper directly on the chicken to prevent splattering.
Immediately place a lid or a foil-covered cardboard that will fit inside the skillet, directly on top of the chicken. And weight it down with two or three heavy cans. (i.e. 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes).
Lower the heat to moderate and cook until the chicken is dark brown, about 20 minutes.
Remove the lid, turn chicken skin side up, and arrange the lemon slices around the pan and on top of the chicken.
Replace the weighted lid and continue cooking until the juices run clear when pierced with a meat fork in the thickest part, about 25 minutes longer.
Transfer the chicken to a large platter, lightly tent to keep warm.
Add about 1/3 cup lemon juice to each pan, raise the heat to high and deglaze while scraping up bits in the bottom of the skillets.
Combine the sauces from the two pans, bring to a boil, taste and adjust the seasonings.
Pour the au jus sauce into a strainer set over a pitcher; drizzle some of the sauce on the chicken pieces and pass remainder at the table.
Garnish the platter with lemon wedges and sprigs of fresh thyme.Boneless Chicken Breasts With Leeks And Fennel(Serves 4)4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts about 5 ounces, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
1 medium bulb fennel, core removed and fronts trimmed, washed and diced
2 large leeks, white parts only, trimmed and washed, and julienned (thin match-like sticks)
Avocado oil for sautéing
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, bruised and chopped (divided in half)
Small fistful flat leaf parsley, chopped
Wondra flour for dusting
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Zest of one-half lemon
Avocado oil for sautéing chicken
1/2 cup dry vermouth or chicken stockTo prepare:Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.To cook:In a skillet over moderate-low heat, coat the bottom with thin film of oil; add fennel and sauté, stirring often, about one minute.
Add leeks, and a few drops more oil if necessary.
Stir in salt, pepper, half of the rosemary, and parsley and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the leek mixture to a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken in one layer.
Meanwhile, in a shallow dish mix the flour with salt, pepper, remaining rosemary, and lemon zest.
Flatten chicken breasts to facilitate even cooking.
Using the same skillet over high heat, add enough oil to sauté the chicken.
Dust each chicken breast in the seasoned flour mixture, pat off the excess flour and place the smooth side of the chicken breast down in the skillet; sauté about three to four minutes. Do not move the meat until it is browned.
Turn and sauté the other side about two to three minutes.
Arrange the chicken on the vegetables in the baking dish, smooth side up.
Meanwhile, add vermouth or stock to the skillet over high heat, and deglaze the pan, scraping up bits left in the pan and pour the liquid over the chicken.
Cover with parchment paper, and bake until the juices run clear when pierced and the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes, the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken.
Drain off the cooking juices into a small saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce to a glacé.To serve:Lift each chicken breast along with the leeks and fennel under it onto a warm dinner plate. Drizzle the glacé juices over the top and serve at once.
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