Lemon Thyme Chicken
Here is a tasty light chicken dish that is summer dinner party perfect.
I am hardly a meat eater but have found myself in cooking situations in which I was creating making recipes with meat .This particular recipe came from a wedding party menu. I learned the hard way that it is better made in small batches. (The sear on the chicken as well as the attention to time /temp of cooking the chicken is a lot harder to manage large scale.)
It takes some time but is well worth the effort.
The chicken is sliced, tenderized with a meat mallet, and floured and browned.
You can use wheat flour if that’s what you have on hand. I tested this recipe also with quinoa flour with great results and also with arrowroot(best results).
I feel organic lemons are really important as well really fresh and healthy chicken.
A large cast iron skillet is perfect pan for this dish. But you can use what you have. If your pan is smaller then you might want to put the chicken and lemon soy mix in a baking dish to put in the over to keep the chicken in a single layer. It will be easier to cook evenly.
This can be eaten hot (served right out of the cast iron pan or baking dish) or cool on a bed of lettuce. It makes great leftovers.
Lemon Thyme Chicken
Prep and cook time 40 minutes
Serves 3 to 6
Ingredients:
3 organic chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup quinoa flour or arrowroot
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup grape seed oil
3 organic lemons
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
Directions:
Rinse chicken and dry. Slice into 1/2 inch slices on an angle. With a meat tenderizer pound each slice first with the rough side and then with the fine side. (Do both sides. Don’t kill it.)
When done, wash up and set up next step.
Mix the flour with salt and spread on a plate. Heat a large skillet with the oil. Cast iron gives the best results here.
Take each piece of chicken and lightly dredge in flour salt mix. When the pan is hot but not smoking place chicken pieces in a single layer not touching. The heat should be about medium or medium high.
Brown the chicken on each side and remove to a plate. Repeat until all the chicken is done.
Turn off heat and let the pan cool while you prepare the next step.
Turn oven to 400 degrees.
Zest 1 1/2 of the lemons. Then juice them. Slice the remaining 1 1/2 lemons into thin rounds and remove seeds.
Separate thyme leaves from stem and rough chop.
Mix lemon zest, juice, soy sauce and thyme.
When the pan is cool enough to handle wipe out any excess oil. Put the cooked chicken back in the skillet in an even layer.
Sprinkle lemon soy mix over and put in oven.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked to 165 degrees and the liquid has caramelized on the bottom of the pan.
Remove from oven and serve.
Can also be served cool and add a day ahead.
