{lemon chicken}

We all know Barefoot Contessa from the Food Network. I used to watch her cooking shows with a pen + paper in hand, writing down the recipe/tips as she cooked on TV. Without a DVR. You miss an ingredient or step, you’re screwed! There was no rewind. No pause button if you needed to refill your wine glass. I can hardly believe that’s how I had to get my recipes? Clearly before internet + google. Or at least, before I knew how to google that shit. Definitely before Pinterest.

This recipe, if I remember correctly, was one of Jeffrey’s favorite. Jeffrey is her husband for all you non Food Network peeps. I recall her making this recipe and thinking…..

Damn, someday when I grow up, I’m going to make this for a dinner party. And set my table pretty. And drink wine.

The very day I got my new dinning room table, guess what I did?

I had a dinner party. Well, kinda. It was Grandparents Day, so I invited my parents + GG over for dinner with Bay + I to celebrate. Let’s call it a dinner party!!!

I set my new table real pretty. And we drank wine. That’s a dinner party in my book!

Ps…Grandparents Day is a real thing. Swear. I even googled it to prove it to you 🙂

National Grandparents Day

I’m totally not a fan of raw meat/chicken images on social media. It looks nasty and salmonella-y.

But, is it just me, or do those raw chicken breasts pictured below look pretty bomb?!?!

This recipe is SO easy. SO delicious. I promise you’re guests or family will enjoy it! We ate the leftovers all week-long, without a single complaint.

Here’s what you’ll need:

4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
1/4 cup good olive oil (aka Seka Hills)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine (I shard some of my chard)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Lemon, cut in wedges
Salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Warm olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute (don’t let it brown).

Turn off heat, add wine + lemon zest + lemon juice + Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place skin side up in the baking dish over the sauce. Brush or spoon sauce over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle liberally with salt + pepper. Tuck lemon wedges around the chicken. Top with thyme sprigs.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, depending on the size of your breasts (chicken breasts that is). Spoon sauce over the tops of the chicken a couple of times during cooking. Trust me!!!

Once chicken is cooked through, place the baking dish under the broiler for 2 minutes. This will make the skin golden brown and crispy.

Remove from oven. Wrap tightly with foil till ready to serve.

Be sure to spoon the pan juices/sauce over each piece of chicken when serving. It’s pretty amazing.

**Let’s chat about the chicken listed in the ingredients. Boneless skin on breasts. I’m going to save you the headache now. Nugget Woodland is the ONLY grocery store in the area (I’m taking Woodland, Davis, Dixon) that will make this happen. Call the meat department. Ask for the boneless skin on chicken breasts. Give them 30 minutes. I called all over and was about to drive to Sac for this specific chicken breasts. I don’t de-bone chicken. It makes my skin crawl. Kinda like pulling the giblets out of the whole chicken. Uhh, I just got the chills thinking about it.

Another Note:

I’ve tried this recipe since with regular boneless skinless chicken thighs and it was still delicious. You don’t get the crispy skin effect (which is to die for) but, it’s pretty damn good anyway. Basically any cut of chicken will do the trick. With the ingredients above, you really can’t go wrong.