Lemon Chicken

Our book group rotates monthly to each others homes for dinner and conversation.  We have tried to link the meal with the book.  We were discussing Little Children: A Novel by Tom Perrotta.  It was about suburban angst.  After spending my youth in the ‘burbs and another 5 years with kids before returning to the city, I could envision the entire book in my head.  I really liked it. 

What to make for dinner?  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken fingers?  I opted for a basic home cooked meal.  The main course was my version of Lemon Chicken.

  • I used split chicken breasts but you could use a whole cut up chicken or just dark meat too.  I made 7 split breasts and 10 wings. 
  • 4 lemons sliced
  • 2 preserved lemons sliced
  • 2 large sweet onions – vidalia
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Place the chicken breasts on a rack inside a large baking pan.  Kosher salt, paprika and pepper the chicken.  Cover with the lemons and onions.  Pour the white and broth into the base of the pan.  Bake for 45 minutes. 

After 45 minutes, take the chicken out of the oven and scrape the onions and lemons off.  Put the pan back in the oven, change to broil mode and broil until the skin is crispy.

Put the chicken breasts on a platter.  Pour the juices, lemons and onions from the pan into a small pot and bring to a boil.   Add 1 tsp. butter (or not), continue to boil until the sauce thickens.  I did not boil it down in half only about 1/4.  Add salt and pepper for taste.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. 

It is very easy and tastes really good – and moist.  Also, you could easily cut this down.  Personally, the more lemons and onions the better.