Lemon thyme chicken. Some flavours just work together. You see them over and over. Nothing original here but it works. A bit of white wine and some crushed chili flakes round it out. Just tasty. This is a great place to use concentrated chicken stock if you have some on hand. If you don’t, consider it seriously…
There’s not a lot of sauce though. Just a spoonful per serving. Leaves you wanting more. Lemon thyme chicken is fast enough for a weeknight but flashy enough for the weekend.
lemon thyme chicken
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken thighs
- 1/2 lemon sliced thinly plus 1/4 lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/4 tsp crushed red chilies
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup low or no sodium chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp concentrated chicken stock if you have it - recipe link below
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your over to 425F.
- Rub the chicken thighs with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Pre-heat a sturdy frying pan to medium and film with a bit more olive oil.
- Add the chicken, skin side down, and fry for about 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on the temperature and adjust as necessary to keep it from smoking. You want to hear that frying sound the whole time. By the end, most of the fat from the skin will have rendered and you will be shallow frying the chicken.
- Remove pan from heat, remove chicken and spoon off all but 1 Tbsp of fat. It’s just one Tbsp - it won’t kill you. Line the bottom of the pan with the lemon slices and return the chicken to the pan, again, skin side down.
- Roast at 425 for about 8-10 minutes. You are going for an interim internal temperature of about 155-160F (you have an instant read thermometer right?). Flip the chicken and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes or until you reach an internal temperature of 175F. This last step isn’t necessary but it helps bring back the crisp to the skin.
- Remove chicken and now caramelized lemon slices. Heat pan over medium low heat and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the juice of 1/4 lemon and cook another 30 seconds or so.
- Pour in the white wine and raise heat. Reduce to syrupy glaze. Now, add the chicken stock and thyme. Reduce by a bit less than half. If you have the concentrated chicken stock add it now.
- Add any accumulated juices from the chicken, mix and adjust seasonings.
lemon thyme chicken
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken thighs
- 1/2 lemon sliced thinly plus 1/4 lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/4 tsp crushed red chilies
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup low or no sodium chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp concentrated chicken stock if you have it - recipe link below
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your over to 425F.
- Rub the chicken thighs with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Pre-heat a sturdy frying pan to medium and film with a bit more olive oil.
- Add the chicken, skin side down, and fry for about 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on the temperature and adjust as necessary to keep it from smoking. You want to hear that frying sound the whole time. By the end, most of the fat from the skin will have rendered and you will be shallow frying the chicken.
- Remove pan from heat, remove chicken and spoon off all but 1 Tbsp of fat. It’s just one Tbsp - it won’t kill you. Line the bottom of the pan with the lemon slices and return the chicken to the pan, again, skin side down.
- Roast at 425 for about 8-10 minutes. You are going for an interim internal temperature of about 155-160F (you have an instant read thermometer right?). Flip the chicken and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes or until you reach an internal temperature of 175F. This last step isn’t necessary but it helps bring back the crisp to the skin.
- Remove chicken and now caramelized lemon slices. Heat pan over medium low heat and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the juice of 1/4 lemon and cook another 30 seconds or so.
- Pour in the white wine and raise heat. Reduce to syrupy glaze. Now, add the chicken stock and thyme. Reduce by a bit less than half. If you have the concentrated chicken stock add it now.
- Add any accumulated juices from the chicken, mix and adjust seasonings.
French chicken in a pot. It’s a great way to mix up the Sunday roast chicken. It infuses the chicken with rich flavours and creates an unbelievably delicious sauce.
This is a simplified version of the poule-au-pot. It’s not stuffed. It’s not poached. It’s roasted. But it’s not really roasted because it’s sealed in a pot. Confused? Just go with it. It’s really, really good.
The amazing thing about this dish is how the flavours from the aromatics permeate the chicken. It’s not like anything you’ve ever had. And the sauce. The sauce is nothing more than the juices of the chicken and aromatics. Complex and simple at the same time. To top it off, the aromatics are meltingly tender. It all just comes together in a most unexpected and wonderful way.
Browning the chicken before it goes into the oven is key. It won’t take on colour after it goes into the pot. If you don’t take the time to brown it well, you will have one sorry looking (but still delicious) bird. The sauce will be a lot richer as well. Browning it well renders most of the fat.
Making French chicken a pot takes a leap of faith. But if you get French food, take that leap. You will be glad that you did.
