Lemon chicken in a hurry
A 1992 newspaper dish that still outruns your delivery app.
At a Glance
Story
Pierre Franey ran this in his 60-Minute Gourmet column in The New York Times in 1992, back when 25 minutes was considered showing off. The flour dredge is not busywork. It browns into a delicate crust and leaves just enough starch in the pan to pull the lemon and butter into a sauce that actually clings.
Ingredients
- ½ cup flourfor dredging
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breastsabout 6 oz each
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh thymeor 1 tsp dried
- 2 tbsp shallotsfinely chopped
- 2 tsp garlicfinely chopped
- 2 tsp lemon zestgrated
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Elegant, fast and slightly smug about both. The whole affair happens in one skillet, which means the sauce keeps every scrap of flavor the chicken leaves behind.
- Season the flour generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken all over and pat off the excess. A thin coat browns, a thick one goes gluey.
- Warm the oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the breasts in one layer. Lay them in and leave them alone for 5 minutes over medium heat until lightly golden.
- Turn and give them 5 minutes more, until just cooked through. Tip out and discard the oil, leaving the chicken where it is.
- Add the thyme, shallots and garlic and let them soften for a minute. Watch the garlic like a hawk. Burnt garlic is a confession of inattention.
- In go the lemon zest, lemon juice and broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan properly, that browned crust is the whole point of the skillet. Add the butter and let it all bubble together for 3 minutes until glossy.
Serve at once, over something that will mop. Franey suggested garlicky mashed potatoes and who are we to argue with the man.
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