Lemon Chicken
Posted by Gail | Filed under Gail Cooks!
My girlfriend Pammie was coming over for dinner one night. Pam is a very “traditional” eater. Nothing “new” or “strange” for Pam. Sometimes I have to twist her arm up her back to get her to try something I’ve made.
When I first introduced her to David’s Teas: Forever Nuts, you had to see the fuss Pammie put up. I made her close her eyes and smell it. Okay, maybe she’d try it. The girl is a total convert. I even had to buy her a tin of her own.
So back to dinner. Here I am trying to make something Pammie will eat that won’t be as boring as rice-pudding. (Sorry rice-pudding lovers.)
“What’s in it,” she said when I told her what we were having.
“No way,” said I. “You have to try it first and then I’ll tell you what’s in it.”
Pammie loved it. She kept dipping into the pot for “one more piece.”
Here’s what I came up with:
Gail’s Lemon Chicken
- Zest and iuice of 2 lemons
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ large red pepper
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 tbs sugar
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs
In Jamaica, we have a cooking technique that I call “burn sugar” and it’s a big part of what gives our cook-down chicken it’s flavour. We coat the bottom of a pan with oil and then sprinkle in sugar. Then we place the chicken on top and cook on a medium heat. The sugar shouldn’t actually burn, but it does caramelize, giving the chicken a lovely brown colour and adding sweetness to the dish.
Once you’ve browned both sides of the chicken thighs, add all the other ingredients to the pot and let simmer for about an hour.
Couldn’t be easier!
February 22, 2012 at 3:39 am
That sounds so good! I love your website, your tips and your no-nonsense approach to life and money. Thank you for sharing so freely what others would gladly fleece us for. I have a new recipe to try this week that I think the whole family will love!
February 22, 2012 at 7:38 am
That sounds delicious!!!
I love Davids Tea too
February 22, 2012 at 8:19 am
I live with a chef. A great, hardworking, professional chef and I’m giving him this one to make for us. Thanks for everything you do Gail! You are the first thing I do in the a.m.
Have a great day everyone!
February 22, 2012 at 8:32 am
Sounds good and very doable.
February 22, 2012 at 9:04 am
I think I will try this tonight – sounds delicious!
February 22, 2012 at 9:25 am
yum
February 22, 2012 at 9:29 am
mmm. I must try burning sugar. I have always wondered why our Jamaican friends are such better cooks than we are…
February 22, 2012 at 9:31 am
That sounds so yummy! Definitely printing this one and trying it. I’m one of those “traditional” eaters too – so I like little steps to try first! Thanks, Gail!
February 22, 2012 at 9:51 am
That sounds good! I’ll try it some time.
February 22, 2012 at 10:07 am
HEY GAIL ….
Would you do that with skin on? or skin off?
(if you were someone who couldn’t care less about chicken skin because you generally eat something like that incredibly rarely)…..
February 22, 2012 at 10:16 am
My mouth is watering reading this recipe-a definite one to try! Thanks
February 22, 2012 at 10:18 am
Added to My Recipe Book and will try very soon… thanks!
February 22, 2012 at 10:19 am
I am definitely trying it out. Great tip on how not to burn sugar !
February 22, 2012 at 10:29 am
Trying this, too.
Flavourful chicken is an art.
February 22, 2012 at 10:29 am
Thanks Gail! Keep filming Til Debt Do Us Part —- it’s my favorite show and I never miss an episode (thanks to DVR).
February 22, 2012 at 10:41 am
I’m always looking for simple recipes that add a new twist to the same old week night suppers. Am definitely going to give this one a go.
February 22, 2012 at 10:54 am
This sounds SO good! I am going to try it this week-end!!!
February 22, 2012 at 11:32 am
Thanks, Gail, for so freely sharing some non-financial areas of your life with all of us.
What type of sugar? White? Brown? Guess I can experiment to see what works best.
Wishing everyone a great day!
February 22, 2012 at 12:16 pm
I’m going to cook up a batch with my 2 teen daughters this week. Then they can make it for me when I’m late coming home from work.
Thanks Gail
February 22, 2012 at 1:45 pm
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Will prepare it for my family – sounds so good!
February 22, 2012 at 2:30 pm
I love a recipe that quick and easy. Thanks Gail.
February 22, 2012 at 3:15 pm
I’ll give this one a try – simple ingredients and easy to do.
I think it’s great to try to fit your menu to your guest’s preferences, but how far do you have to go. I find it becomes harder when there are a number of people invited and one is especially picky. I’m always prepared to work around someone’s allergies, but it’s really annoying when there’s someone who doesn’t like so many things and won’t try anything new because they know ahead of time that they won’t like it. Is it okay to plan a well balanced, interesting menu that you know most people will really enjoy and let the picky person eat or not eat as he/she chooses? It seems a shame to let one person limit the dining experiences of the others.
February 22, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Linda, I’m a picky eater and I say make what you want, especially if you’re talking a group setting.
I can normally find something that I can eat, whether it’s a starch, or a protein, or something.
Try not to be offended if they take a small portion (assuming things are served family style) and they pick out the “gross” things.
Also, my personal preference is to get an idea of the menu in advance so that I can offer to bring something that I know is “safe” and that I will definitely eat, or to eat something in advance and forewarn the host that I’ll have small portions but that I would still want to come and socialize.
I’m working on my own picky eating habits (I find it easier when I can try new things in the comfort of home, so there’s no one around to witness my reaction). Really, the best thing is to let the picky person make their own decision on whether or not they will eat something. At the very least, the picky person can try something and determine they don’t like it, or they can stick with tiny portions, saying “Oh, I’m actually really not that hungry tonight” and can eat a sandwich later (or discover the hunger returned as dessert makes its way around!).
I don’t know if that helps, but that is the perspective from this picky eater!
February 22, 2012 at 7:14 pm
I had to laugh when reading your description of your friend Pam.. sounds like me lol I tell people I am a “plain” eater.. not picky haha
but I must admit the dish sounds good, will have to give it a try, atleast my husband will enjoy it for sure he likes non-boring foods
February 22, 2012 at 9:45 pm
I made this tonight, turned out great! Even my kids, who are not big fans of peppers or onions, really liked it. I got it started, found out I had no lemon juice and sub’d lime juice, instead. I’ll have to try it with the lemon juice, but I still found it tasty.
February 23, 2012 at 3:03 am
Tried the recipe tonight, but doubled the recipe and, after browning the chicken, finished cooking in a slow cooker. The sauce was very thin (typical problem when converting a stove top recipe to a slow cooker)…next time I’ll reduce the sauce before serving. Regardless, it was tasty! Will definitely make it again.
February 23, 2012 at 10:03 am
Thanks for sharing….I will definitely be trying this.
February 23, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Lemons, Limes and Oranges oh My!
Just an FYI, you can buy the citrus fruit when its ON SALE and freeze it whole.(just bung them in the freezer) When you need zest, keep it frozen and grate what you need and chuck it back into the freezer. Need ice for drinks? Slice the fruit straight from the deep freeze and throw it in your drinks. Need Juice for Gail’s Lemon Chicken? Just zap in the the microwave for 30-60 seconds (depending on the micro).And away you go.
February 23, 2012 at 6:54 pm
@Emma,
Did you see that series the Toronto Star ran on the picky eating front? I never knew it was so tough.
Thanks for the recipe, my experimental chef hubby is looking forward to trying it.
February 23, 2012 at 10:15 pm
**Gail, I am so glad you have ventured into these expanded topics on Wednesdays. We all know how wholeheartedly you laugh, and these Wednesday blogs seem to ignite a side of you which was obviously longing to come out!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!
p.s. Roger Mooking did this “carmelized sugar thing” (he’s Trinidadian) and I thought I had just died and gone to heaven when I tasted it! I am vegan now, but the same technique would work with a lemon butternut squash or a vegan “chicken” breast. Yum!
February 25, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Will be trying this recipe this weekend for family dinner – looks so good! I’m a picky eater but will give everything a try at least
February 25, 2012 at 10:47 pm
nom, nom, nom, YUMMM….leave the skin on, fat=flavor. If you must remove the skin(some don’t like the flabby texture after simmering), peel the skin off and cook it first to render off the fat, then proceed with the rest of the recipe. My hubby and I fight over the crispy skin pieces.
February 26, 2012 at 12:55 am
Yummm! Dinner sounds delicious
Save me a plate
February 27, 2012 at 10:04 am
cooked it this weekend, huge hit! however, when i logged in calories. the thighs came in at a whopping 230 a piece.. seems like a lot to me? could you do this with chicken breasts and cut some of those?
LOVED the recipe.. keep them coming….
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