I bought a ton of lemons recently for an article I wrote on Preserved Lemons for the Jewish Week Food&Wine.
So I’ve been cooking lots of recipes that use lemons.
This is one of the best, easiest and least complicated: Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken. I used chicken breast (though you could make it with any chicken parts). The fragrance is mesmerizing. It’s tasty without needing too many ingredients. You don’t need to use salt because the lemon juice adds the right amount of tang. It’s filling but not heavy.
I serve this with plain cooked rice or mashed or baked potatoes because the roasting juices are a perfect “gravy,” no other moisturizing fat needed.
Roasted Lemon-Oregano Chicken
1 large onion, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
2 whole bone-in chicken breasts, each about 1-1/2 pounds (or 4 whole chicken legs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the onion and lemon slices in a roasting pan. Wash and dry the chicken breasts and place them on top of the onion/lemon slices. Brush the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the oregano and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes. Combine the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, white wine and garlic and pour over the chicken. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 25-30 minutes, basting occasionally, or until cooked through (a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast will register 160 degrees). Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Makes 4-6 servings