The Ultimate Lemon Chicken

What to do when life gives you lemons- especially huge juicy, zesty ones? My ultimate lemony, garlicky and herb-y chicken recipe, of course!

Fresh citrus notes permeates the whole dish as fresh lemon zest is used both in the luscious sauce and marinade. Moist chicken thigh cutlets are marinaded in a mixture of French wholegrain mustard, oregano and thyme, then pan-fried until the skin is crispy in garlic-infused oil. A dash of runny honey right at the end balances the sourness of lemon juice perfectly!

Be sure to serve it with plenty of rice or mashed potatoes for that wonderful lemony sauce! Bon appétit!

Ingredients

• 10 chicken drumsticks, de-boned
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (1 teaspoon for rub and 2 teaspoons for sauce)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (1 tbsp for rub, 1 tbsp for cooking)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• runny honey, to taste
• sea salt, to taste

Method

1. Make rub for chicken. Combine mustard, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest, oregano, thyme, salt and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a small bowl. Use fingers to coat chicken on both sides with the mustard rub.
2. In another bowl combine remaining lemon zest (2 teaspoons), lemon juice and the chicken stock. Set aside.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic then cook about 1 minute or until you can smell toasted garlic and the garlic has browned around the edges. Remove and discard the garlic, but leave the oil.
4. Add chicken, skin-side down into the hot garlic-infused oil and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the skin has turned golden brown. Flip over and cook until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken cutlets on to a plate and cover with aluminium foil.
5. To the frying pan, add the lemon juice mixture. Bring to a gentle simmer for a few minutes.
6. In a small bowl, use your fingers to mix butter and flour together, making a dry, crumbly paste. Whisk the flour and butter into the sauce. The sauce will thicken slightly and look glossy.
7. Add some honey and salt (if required) to balance the flavour of the sauce.
8. Pour lemon sauce over the chicken cutlets and serve immediately.