Greek Lemon Chicken - Dinner with Beaux #1
Let me just get this out of the way so my Greek patrons don’t tear me a new a**hole and call me all kinds of Malakas.
This is not a traditional Greek Lemon Chicken! This is a fast, grab what ya’ got and make-it-taste-good version of Greek Lemon Chicken. This is for the working people that want to whip out good food for the family and also plate it like they're winning at life.
“Kota kei patates lemonato” (Greek Lemon Chicken) requires a little more time and demands some non-regular ingredients that you may not always have around. However, I do highly recommend trying out the recipe in its classic form. It’s the best thing from the Greeks since democracy.
A traditional Greek Lemon Chicken calls for dark meat – legs and thighs. We’re opting for chicken breast as its healthier and also since I got a 50% off coupon on chicken breast from Krogers. Don’t be afraid to look for deals man! Seriously, Chicken Breast is a great option if you’re watching your weight and counting calories.
The recipe also calls for yukon potatoes and fresh oregano, most people usually don’t have either laying around, so I opted for russets and dry herbs as it's normally available in most U.S. kitchens.
Lets get started:
Ingredients:
Main
4 Chicken Breasts
2 Large Russet Potatoes
2 Cups of Brussel Sprouts
1 Small White Onion
Spices
Salt
Black Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
Dry Oregano
Dry Rosemary
Garlic Powder
Oils and Acids
4 Lemons (Juice of 4 large lemons)
1 cup of Olive Oil
1/2 cup of Grape Seed Oil (canola or vegetable oil substitute)
4 oz of Chicken Broth (water substitute)
Marinade
3 oz of Lemon Juice
3 oz of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of Salt
1 Tablespoon of Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoon of Dry Oregano
1 Teaspoon of Dry Rosemary
Directions:
Step 1 Marinade Your Meat: I recommend that you marinade your chicken the night before. You should never be eating un-marinated chicken breast, you're an adult now. Plus chewing through thick pieces of dry chicken is the worst thing on earth.
Grab a ziplock bag, throw your chicken breasts in, and pour in the marinade. Seal your bag and coat the marinade over each piece of chicken. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours. If you're doing this the "day of", try to marinate your meat for at least an hour.
Step 2 Prep: On the day you're ready to cook, remove your chicken from the marinade and place onto a rack and let dry and come to room temperature. (We are going to fast sear the chicken - it's always best done when your meat is not super cold).
At this stage, you'll also want to get your vegetables in place. Grab your russet potatoes, wash them and then slice them into thick steak cuts.
Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and cover with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry oregano, dry rosemary and crushed red pepper to coat.
Cut your brussels sprouts in halves and have them ready to go.
Cut an onion in half, remove the outer skin and throw the inner rings into your pan of potatoes.
Add juice from two lemons and 2 oz of chicken broth to the pan of potatoes. Throw in the juiced lemon rinds to the pan as well.
Step 3 Cooking: Cover your potatoes with aluminum foil and place into a 375 degree preheated oven and cook for 25 minutes.
Back to the chicken: While your potatoes are in the oven, start on the chicken breast.
Place a cast iron pan or heavy bottom skillet on the stove and set to high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with grape seed oil and heat it to where it barely starts to smoke.
Place your chicken breast into the skillet skin down and sear for 4-5 minutes. If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it's not ready yet. Continue cooking until it easily releases from the pan and has a nice browned color.
We won't be cooking the other side of the chicken, that side will be finished in the oven. Once the skin is browned, simply take your chicken out of the pan and place onto a cutting board to set for the next step.
While your chicken is resting, throw the brussels sprouts into the hot pan and begin to sear them. Add a bit of salt to the pan to help bring out the water from the vegetables.
The brussels sprouts should begin to deglaze the pan and take on the fond flavor from the chicken. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes, moving the vegetables around to keep from burning or blackening.
Add oil if your pan is too dry.
When your brussels sprouts are seared, add 1/2 a cup of chicken broth to the pan. Place your rested chicken breasts on top of the brussels sprouts to continue cooking in the oven.
Place the pan in the oven and cook at 375 for 10 minutes or until internal temperature of 165 degrees Farenheit is reached. (Don't put a pan in the oven that has any plastic or melting parts!)
Pull your pan chicken breast out of the oven after 10 minutes and rest.
Back to the potatoes: Remove the aluminum foil from the potatoes and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until crisp and golden. The chicken broth and lemon juice should be emulsified and near evaporated.
Remove your pan of potatoes from the oven. It's time to plate.
Step 4 Plating: Lay down a bed of potatoes on the left side of a white plate, set your chicken breast on top, tilted forward, exposing the chicken breast skin. Place your cooked brussel sprouts wedged to the right, between the potatoes and chicken breast.
Add the roasted lemon rind to the plate for garnish and Voila! It's time to eat!
If you're trying out this recipe at home, please comment and send us pictures of your version!
