Chicken with Meyer Lemons, Olives & Rosemary

March 12, 2015

20150312-050821.jpg I am finding bags of Meyer lemons to be plentiful this time of year. The sweet thin skinned lemons the perfect addition to chicken. This easy Provençal inspired dish feels a bit like Summer, even when it is not.

Oven to 400. Of course. Salt, pepper and olive oil skinless boneless chicken thighs that you have put in a baking dish. I prefer skinless for this as it produces way less fat, and the sauce at the end becomes part of the dish. I prefer thighs to white meat for this, as they stay moist. If you are not a dark meat fan, then for sure try with breast meat, just watch super carefully to not over cook the meat.

Then add a few sprigs of rosemary and a handful of olives. Cut up Meyer lemons, some halved and some quartered, tucking them here and there among the chicken. Lastly, pour over a bit of good white wine to moisten the entire mixture. Bake/roast in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees on a thermometer. Several times during the cooking process, move things around a bit in the dish. Start spooning over the juice that is being created over the meat. Add more white wine if you think more liquid is needed.

End result, you will get super moist chicken along with an amazing sauce that the lemons, olives, rosemary, olive oil and the chicken drippings have produced. Serve over basmati or jasmine rice or egg noodles, being sure to ladle over that precious sauce. The Meyer lemons are edible, skin and all, so give those a try too. This is easy enough for a week night meal but also has an earthly quality that makes for a stellar meal to serve to guests.