Main Dish (Chicken/Poultry )

Lemon Chicken

Contributor: Cooks Illustrated

475 ovensafe skillet
1/2 cup salt
2 quarts water
3 lb chicken thighs
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 Tbl butter
1 shallot minced
1 clove garlic minced
4 tsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 lemons zested and juiced
1 Tbl parsley fresh
1 tsp oregano fresh

Make brine from salt and water. Soak chicken in brine 30 minutes to 1 hour, pat dry. Heat oil until smoking and brown chicken on both sides. Remove to plate and pour out fat. Add butter and saute shallots and garlic until fragrant (30 seconds). Sprinkle in flour and brown slightly, add chicken broth, lemon juice and a Tbl of the zest, whisk until slightly thickened. Put chicken back in sauce (do not cover with sauce) and bake at 475 until chicken is 175 degrees. Mix remaining zest with herbs. Remove chicken and plate, whisk 1/2 of herb mixture into sauce and pour sauce around the chicken (not over) garnish with remaining herb mixture. Enjoy with good bread for sopping up the sauce.
Edition: 7