Lemon chicken breast with lemon recipe

Total: 30 min Diners: 4

Probably if we think of lemon chicken we will quickly think of those recipes – we will not go into whether very authentic or not, this particular one is known in Cantonese cuisine – that are usually offered in Chinese restaurants but, in fact, what we are closest to is the classic French meunière sauce. A sauce that, although it is far from the one we present here today, which is more similar to the Chinese one, reveals the use of lemon with a more Mediterranean and Spanish touch for these thighs that we could well do on the barbecue to give them a special touch, although we can also use the griddle or the pan if we are inside the house.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs, 8 u Lemons, 3 u Honey, 1 tbsp Chicken broth, 100 ml Corn flour (cornstarch type), 1 tsp Black pepper, 1 tsp Salt, c/s Soy sauce, 1 tsp Chives, 8 u Olive oil, 1 tbsp

Chicken, characteristics and nutritional values

We call chicken the young hen or rooster, which have to be slaughtered between 5 and 16 weeks of life, weighing between 1 and 3 kg. The chicken has a tender, white or slightly yellowish meat, this depends on the type of feed they receive, but is not an indication of the quality of it.

Depending on the rearing conditions of these birds, we can distinguish different types of chicken:

Farmyard chicken: reared extensively in factory farms. It fattens quickly with feed until it reaches a weight of approximately 1 kg. Its meat is whitish, paler than that of free-range chicken and less intense in flavor. Poultry chicken: is fed on grain, in semi-freedom and without medication. The time required for fattening is longer than that of industrially produced chicken, and can reach 3 kg. It is expensive and uncompetitive compared to factory-farmed chickens. Its meat, yellowish in color, is firmer than the previous variety, with less fat and a more intense flavor.

According to the Spanish Nutrition Foundation, “The main component of chicken meat, approximately 70%, is water. It is followed by proteins with high biological value, given its content in essential amino acids. Chicken can be considered a lean meat, especially when it is consumed without skin, where an important part of the fat resides.

The fat is mostly monounsaturated fat made up mainly of oleic acid, followed by saturated fat, represented mainly by palmitic acid. We also find a quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly in the form of linoleic acid, which varies depending on the poultry’s diet. Chicken meat differs from beef or pork in that its cholesterol content is higher, almost double.

With respect to micronutrients, chicken is a source of minerals such as phosphorus,
which contributes to the maintenance of bones and teeth in normal conditions.
The main vitamins present are from the B group, especially niacin and vitamin B6. A serving of chicken provides 73% and 97% respectively of the recommended intake of niacin for men and women aged 20 to 39 years who practice moderate physical activity.

Current nutritional recommendations advise the consumption of 3 servings a week of lean meats, alternating consumption between different types among which is the chicken”.

How to make Mediterranean lemon chicken

If you are going to choose to make the lemon chicken thighs on the barbecue or grill I remind you that you will have to light it with time, to give the fire the possibility to light well and that only the embers remain after, which is on which the meat is made. If you want to give a special touch to the chicken you could macerate it previously smeared in spices, soy and even a little lemon, although between the embers and the lemon sauce it would not be necessary, it has a great taste!

In addition to marinating the thighs for even more flavor, this recipe is also perfect for turkey and other chicken cuts such as whole thighs or even breasts. Of course, you could use the sauce for a breaded or battered breast which would be more like Chinese lemon chicken, but that’s another recipe.

This sauce is also perfectly valid to accompany fish, grilled or broiled or even baked, as long as you control well the lemon juice so that it does not invade or erode the flavor of the fish itself and you can change here the chicken juice for fish juice although both would be perfectly valid for a seafood recipe. Ah! And for a casserole of freshly steamed mussels, you end up basting them with this not-so-thick sauce and you will want to make lots and lots of little boats. The possibilities are as varied as everyone wants.

Step 1

Squeeze the juice from the lemons and strain it, we can cut another into slices so that these then make us bed of chicken, although it is simple aesthetics.

Step 2

With the help of a spray or a brush touch the thighs with a little olive oil and add salt and black pepper and put on the barbecue or grill, over high heat to brown well on the outside.

Step 3

While the chicken thighs are cooking we can make the lemon chicken sauce by putting the lemon juice in a ladle over high heat with the honey, until it comes to the boil. Once it has reached the boil add the chicken broth and, finally, the corn flour previously dissolved in a little bit of cold chicken broth so that no lumps are generated.

Step 4

Stir well with the help of a few rods – be careful if you use a non-stick pan to make the sauce do not use metal rods because you destroy the pan – and let the boiling give you the desired texture. The sauce has to be bound but not extremely dense. Finally add salt and black pepper and add the soy sauce.

Step 5

Turn the thighs so that they are cooked on the other side and when they are ready, keep in mind that they should be well done inside, finish basting them with the lemon sauce.