“Don’t Steal My Bike!” Baked Meyer-Lemon Chicken
Posted on | February 25, 2010 | 2 Comments
The chicken, shortly before the nuclear blast that is my camera flash
This afternoon, a man stole a bike from our back yard. It wasn’t our back, and well, it is a shared back yard. But the fact of the matter is that when faced with troubling domestic situations, I feel the need for comfort food. As I spoke with the local police officer, who showed up 45 minutes later, I couldn’t help but think of the brined chicken quarters in my fridge, and the meyer lemons lounging in the kitchen window.
Were Meyer Lemons people, I’m quite sure they would be sunbathing at expensive hotels in the Riviera, sipping on spring water and anxiously awaiting the afternoon spa treatment. They always seem to me, somehow, out of my league. I am mostly careful in their use – pulling together vinaigrette and salsas, or pairing them with fresh herbs, briny olives and white cheese.
But after the bike incident, I wanted to get rough with the Meyers, and so I zested one their brethren and threw the flesh in blender with garlic, olive oil and fresh parsley and a 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar.
While that heaven-scented remained in the bowl, I turned my attention to the chicken. After washing and drying the quarters, I added them to a smoking hot cast iron skillet and browned them for a few minutes on each side.
Removing the chicken and skillet from the heat, and letting them cool their tempers, I then added a half cup of chicken stock to the bowl and mixed with a wooden spoon.
A minute later I added the mixture to the skillet and let it bubble away off the heat before covering it and shoving it into a 375 oven for 45 minutes.
Remove the cover, and turn the broiler on high for four minutes until the chicken starts to brown and crisp.
Remove and let sit tented with foil. Add some chopped parsley and a last bit of meyer lemon juice, and then….thank your lucky stars for bike locks.
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2 Responses to ““Don’t Steal My Bike!” Baked Meyer-Lemon Chicken”
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February 28th, 2010 @ 10:11 am
[...] So, it all started with Meyer Lemon goat cheese. So then what? I looked in the fridge and knew I had some nice pieces of brined chicken breast that I’d included in my batch from the night before (my “don’t steal my bike!” baked meyer lemon chicken). [...]
March 21st, 2010 @ 5:31 pm
Sorry about the neighbors’ bike. Unsettling ’cause it could just as easily have been yours.
It’s just like you to daydream about chicken and Meyer lemons while the cops are there! Ha! Love what you whipped up. Way to get rough with those lemons, Will:)