Caramelized Lemon Chicken Food

CHICKEN AND TOMATO STEW WITH CARAMELIZED LEMON

Steps:

• Stew:
• Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour ahead (or cover and chill for up to 24 hours).
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook chicken, adjusting heat as needed to avoid scorching, until deep golden brown on both sides, 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings behind.
• Add onion to pot and cook, stirring often, until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often until onion begins to brown around the edges, about 3 minutes. Stir in honey, tomato paste, turmeric, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and juices and smash tomatoes with a wooden spoon until pieces are no larger than 1". Return chicken to pot, pour in broth (it should barely cover chicken), and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, mostly cover pot with lid (to allow steam to escape), and gently simmer until chicken is tender and juices thicken, 70-80 minutes.
• Caramelized lemon and assembly:
• Meanwhile, trim the top and bottom from lemon, perch on a flat end, and cut lengthwise into quarters; remove seeds and white pith in the center. Thinly slice quarters crosswise into quarter-moons. Place in a medium skillet, pour in water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a small bowl; sprinkle with sugar and toss to coat.
• Wipe out skillet and heat oil over medium-high. Arrange lemon pieces in a single layer in skillet. Cook, turning halfway through, until deeply browned in most spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer back to bowl and season with salt.
• Ladle stew into bowls and top with caramelized lemon, sesame seeds, and mint. Serve with flatbread.
• Do Ahead
• Stew (without mint) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Add mint just before serving.

CARAMELIZED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the lemon curd with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
• To butterfly the chicken, place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting on either side of the backbone. (Save the backbone for stock.) Flip the chicken, setting it breast side up, and flatten by pressing firmly in the center; you should hear a crack.
• Pat chicken dry. Season the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Use the handle of a fork or spoon to loosen the skin from the chicken breasts and thighs (you'll find openings at their tops).
• Spread about three-quarters of the lemon curd between the skin and meat. Use your fingers to massage the curd around so it spreads out under the skin. Spread the rest of the lemon curd in a thin layer all over the chicken skin. Drizzle with the olive oil.
• Pour 3/4 cup water into a large (at least 12-inch) oven-safe skillet, shallow roasting pan or sheet pan. (The water keeps the pan drippings from burning and keeps the chicken moist.) Add the chicken, skin side up. Tuck the wings under to prevent burning and turn the legs so the thighs face up. Roast until a thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, 45 minutes to 1 hour, starting to check the chicken at 30 minutes. If at any point it starts getting too brown, cover it with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CARAMELIZED LEMON RINDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Pat the chicken thighs quite dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.
• Heat a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet skin-side down and nestle the lemon halves around them so the cut sides touch the skillet. Cook until the chicken skin is very golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. (The lemon halves should char, but if they start completely blackening, lift them up and place them on top of the chicken as it cooks.)
• Lift up each lemon half, brush the cut side with maple syrup and return to the skillet cut-side down. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the chicken is almost cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the thighs so they are skin-side up, then continue roasting until no longer pink near the bone, another 5 minutes. Serve the chicken with the saucy pan drippings spooned over.

EASY CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Place in a baking dish.
• Stir lemon juice and zest into the leftover butter in the pan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in half-and-half slowly. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until sauce is smooth. Pour sauce over chicken.
• Bake in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 20 to 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.

CARAMELIZED LEMON JUS

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill lemon slices until charred, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate; chop coarsely.
• Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sage leaves, garlic, and grilled lemon pieces with any juices, then sugar. Cook until shallots start to color, about 5 minutes. Add wine and vodka. Using long wooden skewer, ignite liquors and let burn off, about 4 minutes. Add beef broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until jus is reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.

EASY HOMEMADE CHINESE LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whisk soy sauce, egg, lemon juice, rice vinegar, sugar, and hot mustard together in a medium bowl. Add chicken, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Remove chicken from marinade and toss in a large mixing bowl with 1/2 cup cornstarch. Be sure to coat thoroughly. Discard marinade.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry chicken in batches until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a tray covered with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Whisk chicken broth, lemon juice, honey, and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and stir constantly until sauce becomes translucent and begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and top cooked chicken with sauce.

CARAMELIZED LEMONGRASS CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Remove skins and extra fat from chicken.
• Remove the outer leaves from the lemongrass, cut into 1 inch pieces, and pound until somewhat flattened with a meat tenderizer.
• Crush garlic and blend with lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper.
• Add chicken and toss to coat well; marinate 3-4 hours.
• If needed, you can marinate for 15 minutes and cook- the flavor will be less intense, but it will still work if you're in a hurry.
• Remove chicken from marinade (but save the marinade).
• Heat oil in a pan with a tight-fitting lid.
• Brown the chicken in the oil (~10minutes).
• Pour the remaining marinade into the pan, and add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan (there should be 1/4 inch or less of liquid - it needs to simmer off, or else the chicken won't caramelize).
• Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover tightly and simmer until the chicken is tender, turning occassionally (about 30 minutes).
• Stir lemon juice into sauce, and stir to coat chicken.
• Serve hot.

CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat half of oil in frying pan over medium heat.
• Add onions and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Season with salt and pepper during cooking.
• Onions should become golden brown and caramelized.
• Remove onions from pan and set aside.
• Heat remaining oil in the same pan.
• Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook 5 minutes on each side over medium heat.
• Add teriyaki sauce and lemon juice.
• Cook 1 minute.
• Transfer chicken breasts and all juices to ovenproof baking dish.
• Top with onions and all juices.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Broil 3 minutes in the oven til cheese is bubbly.

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH WHITE BEANS AND CARAMELIZED LEMON

Steps:

• Toss lemon slices and shallots together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside. (This will lightly pickle the shallot and soften the lemon while you cook the chicken.)
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken, skin-side down. Using kitchen tongs or a spatula, press the chicken evenly into the skillet so it makes good contact with the hot surface (which will promote browning). Cook, resisting the urge to check too frequently, until the skin is deeply golden brown (think of the color of a well-baked croissant), 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. At this stage, most of the fat should be rendered and the skin should be crispy. Flip and continue to cook until pieces are cooked through, another 7 to 10 minutes.
• Using kitchen tongs, transfer chicken to a plate to rest, leaving all the fat behind. Add lemon and shallot to the chicken fat, standing back if you need because it will sizzle. Cook, swirling the skillet, until the lemon has started to caramelize and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. (It'll smell like a mix of lemonade and caramel.)
• Add the beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans have started to brown a bit and soak up all of that caramelized lemon chicken fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Working in batches, add kale and toss to wilt, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
• Return the chicken to the skillet, along with any juices that have collected on the plate, and cook for a minute or two, just so everything gets to know each other in there.
• Divide the chicken, beans and kale between plates, making sure to top each serving with a few lemon slices. Sprinkle with flaky salt and a final few turns of pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.