Twice Cooked Lemon Chicken Recipes

DOUBLE LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, soy sauce, cornstarch (cornflour), 1/2 teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper just until there aren't any lumps, about 30 seconds. Working one breast at a time, place the chicken between 2 pieces of parchment paper and use a meat mallet (or the bottom of a pan) to pound the chicken evenly so it's a scant 1/2-inch/1-centimeter thick. Transfer to the egg white bowl and continue with the remaining. Stir everything together gently to coat, and refrigerate to marinate for at least an hour (or overnight if you're getting ahead).
• Meanwhile make the preserved lemon paste: Add all the ingredients to a small, lidded saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the rinds start to look translucent and the juice has reduced by about half. Set aside to cool slightly, then transfer everything to a small food processor and blitz until you have a smooth, spreadable paste. (You should have about 1/4 cup.) Set aside 3 tablespoons for the sauce, then store the rest in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
• Make the sauce: Add the 3 tablespoons preserved lemon paste, the stock, butter, garlic, sugar, turmeric and half the cumin to a medium saucepan, then place it over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until reduced by about a third. Measure out roughly 3 tablespoons of the sauce into a small bowl, then add the cornstarch (cornflour) and whisk until there are no lumps. Whisk this back into the sauce pot and cook for 1 minute, whisking continuously, until smooth and thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
• Heat the oil in a large high-sided frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot (a sprinkle of cornstarch dropped into the oil should sizzle right away), fry two of the chicken breasts for 3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned and just cooked through. It should release easily from the skillet with a little help from a metal spatula. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and continue with the remaining 2 breasts. It might spit, so turn down the heat if needed. Wipe out the frying pan, add the sauce and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add back all the chicken breasts and cook for just 3 minutes, gently turning them halfway. Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
• Transfer the chicken breasts (cut them into strips, if you like) to a large serving platter with a lip and pour the sauce all over. Sprinkle with the remaining cumin. In a small bowl, toss together the spring onion, cilantro and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and spoon this all over.

BAKED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine flour and pepper; dredge the chicken. Set remaining flour mixture aside. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil; transfer to an ungreased 9-in. square baking dish. , In a saucepan, saute onion in butter. Add reserved flour mixture; stir to form a thick paste. Gradually add broth, lemon juice, basil and thyme; mix well. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Pour over the chicken. Top each half with a lemon slice. Sprinkle parsley. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Serve over rice if desired.

TWICE-COOKED LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
• Pierce each chicken piece with the tip of a sharp knife (one or two 1/2-inch slits) - This will allow the marinade to better-permeate the chicken. Set aside.
• Place lemon juice, sherry, lemon zest (3 tablespoons), thyme, rosemary and garlic in a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine.
• Pour the marinade into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; add the chicken; squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Refrigerate to marinate for two hours, turning once.
• Meanwhile, combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and black pepper in a brown paper lunch bag.
• Remove chicken thighs from the marinade; reserve 4 tablespoons and dispose of the remaining.
• Add each piece of chicken (one-at-a-time) to the flour mixture; seal the bag and shake to coat evenly.
• In a large, heavy-bottom skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add each coated chicken thigh - without over-crowding - fry until browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with a no-stick cooking spray. Arrange the browned chicken in the casserole dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Scatter the capers around the chicken pieces.
• Mix the broth with the reserved marinade; pour over the chicken. Top each thigh with a lemon slice.
• Bake chicken for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the meat is tender.
• Remove from oven and let the chicken rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving. Transfer chicken and capers to a warmed serving platter; sprinkle with scallions and the remaining lemon zest.
• Pour the juices from the casserole dish into small serving bowl; skim the fat off the top. Serve the juices on the side with fluffy white rice and a tossed green salad.