Chicken with Garlic and Lemon
I’m a huge garlic fan. Seriously. It’s my favorite. Whenever a recipe calls for one or two cloves I always double it. I love everything about it, from its shape to the smell to the flavor. I’ll take it roasted on a piece of bread or minced in a thick tomato sauce. So, when Susan Hermann Loomis made this recipe from her new cookbook, Plat Du Jour, I knew I had to make it.
While I can’t get enough garlic, like, ever, I also love a good roast chicken. Since this recipe is both plus lemons, you can understand why I rushed to make it. It’s my two favorite foods put together in one luscious dish. And it’s French. When have French recipes ever been bad? They have butter and cream and wine. So much wine. This recipe calls for one-and-a-half to two cups! All ingredients I will happily use whenever possible. I mean, let’s be honest, adding butter, cream or white or red wine to any recipe only makes it better. It’s true.
I know French cooking may sound scary and complicated, but that’s what I love about Loomis. This is the second book I have by the author and it’s just as easy to follow as her other books. This time around, Loomis has taken several classic dishes from all over France and turned them into easily accessible recipes any home cook (myself included) can make. She has classics like Beef Bourguignon, Croque Monsieur and Salade Niçoise, but she also has Oyster and Spiced Lamb Patties, Poached Eggs on Carrot Puree and Basil Sorbet. Each recipe includes a little story of which French region it comes from and how it’s eaten. For example, she tells us “do not ever tell any self-respecting inhabitant of Nice that you like Salade Niçoise with potatoes, green beans or even lettuce… because a true Niçoise is a blend of seasonal vegetables that every Niçoise had at hand long, long ago”. They’re fun little tidbits that give a deeper insight to both the dish and the region.
A chicken dish steeped in wine, garlic and lemon may not sound like a spring dish, but trust me, it works just as well during the warmer months as it does during the cooler. But the best thing about it, is that it’s easy enough to whip up on a regular weeknight but stunning enough to serve a group of special guests. While it does take a little longer to make (about an hour), it’s so worth it.
Most recipes created by Loomis are amazing as is. Unfortunately I had to alter this one. See, it calls for walnuts since the buttery nut is readily available in Dordogne, where the recipe hails from. But I had to leave them out since Hubs is allergic. When I inquired about a substitute, Loomis recommended, you guessed it, more garlic. I was thrilled since we’re both such big fans. The extra garlic simply added to the already amazing flavor, especially when paired with Meyer lemons which are still available at farmers markets and my favorite produce company, Melissa’s Produce. All together this dish is one I will make again and again. The crispy chicken skin, the garlic that’s so soft you could spread it and that luscious lemon white wine sauce all make for a dinner that’s so good you’re going to have to force yourself not to lick the plate. It’s insane that a recipe this good is this easy. But that’s the beauty of Loomis and Plat du Jour: every recipe is both a cinch to make and lip smacking good.
Notes
Adapted from Plat du Jour
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-1/2 - 2 cups white wine like sauvignon blanc, divided
- 12 garlic cloves
- 1 cup walnut halves
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet, skin side down. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, 1/2 cup of wine and the garlic cloves to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the walnuts, cover and cook for another 8 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or until the pan juices have evaporated and the chicken, garlic and walnuts are golden. Watch closely so the walnuts don't burn. Transfer the chicken, garlic and walnuts to a serving platter.
- Deglaze the skillet with the remaining wine, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley and serve.
This is so lovely, thank you for mentioning this wonderful dish and my book. I’d like to invite you to http://www.dancingtomatoes.com for a look at what I’m up to.