chicken bake - spanishchef.net

You can’t go wrong with lemon and herbs in super-easy chicken bake

Readers often call me, looking for ideas to feed a crowd or unexpected guests.

One of my standards is Chicken with Lemon and Herbs. I came across the recipe years ago in Fine Cooking magazine. I’ve tweaked it here and there, using different herbs, chicken breasts instead of thighs and red or sweet onions in place of shallots.

I like it because it’s super easy. Take chicken thighs, brine them if you like and bake with lemon and herbs. That’s it. It’s a great main dish if you’re hosting a bridal or baby shower, or for just about any other occasion. Add a mixed vegetable and salad, and it’s a complete meal.

This dish also is relatively inexpensive to make for a crowd. For quick cooking, remove the bones. Allow extra baking time if you leave the bones in.

Also, leave the skin on the chicken. It makes the meat more flavorful, and it gives your guests the option of removing it or not.

Beyond the ease of making it, this dish has great flavor. You can’t go wrong with lemons and fresh herbs — they’re a natural match. Today’s recipe calls for thyme and rosemary, but you can use other herbs, such as parsley or basil. If using rosemary, don’t worry that it will be too strong. It won’t be. And roasting the lemons mellows out the tartness.

When it comes to buying lemons, I usually go for a whole bag because it’s cost-effective. A bag generally has at least six lemons and costs about $3. Sold separately, lemons can cost 70 cents each.

Choose lemons with bright skins and no hint of green, a sign of under-ripeness. The lemons should feel heavy for their size. They will keep in the refrigerator for two to three weeks in a plastic bag. If left out at room temperature, they’ll last about a week.

If I have leftover lemons, I zest and juice them. I freeze the zest in plastic bags and the juice in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop out the cubes and put them in a plastic bag. You can also simply freeze lemon slices on a tray and place the frozen slices in a bag. They are terrific on the grill or roasted in the oven.

At some stores, you might see a variety called Meyer lemon. These have a thinner, smoother rind than a traditional lemon and are lower in acid. Their sweet flavor is often described as tangerine-like. They also tend not to have a lot of seeds.

Contact Susan M. Selasky at 313-222-6432 or [email protected].

If you require a high quality printout of this article, just click on the printer symbol next to ’Share and enjoy’, and we will do the rest.

Get the best website builder available anywhere –SBI! Click here for more information

Return from chicken to Home Page

If you want to increase your site popularity and gain thousands of visitors – check out these sites THEY ARE FREE. Spanishchef more than doubled its ‘New Visitors’ last month simply by signing up to these sites: