CHICKEN BREASTS WITH LEMON

Chicken Breasts With Lemon image

In this recipe, which Pierre Franey brought to The Times in 1992 in one of his 60-Minute Gourmet columns, two teaspoons of lemon zest are added to a simple sauce of lemon juice, thyme, garlic and shallots. It is, at once, lively and elegant. To round it out, it needs a sturdy accompaniment. Mr. Franey suggested mashed potatoes with garlic and basil, with just a little olive oil swirled in.

Provided by Pierre Franey

Categories dinner, easy, quick, weekday, times classics, main course

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour for dredging
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken broth, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons butter

Steps:

Season flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken all over. Remove the excess flour.
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer. Add chicken and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Flip the chicken and cook for 5 minutes more, or until cooked through. Carefully remove the oil from the skillet, leaving the chicken. Discard the oil.
Add the thyme, shallots and garlic, and cook for about a minute. Do not burn the garlic. Add the lemon rind, the lemon juice and the broth.
Scrape the skillet to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom. Add the butter, and cook for 3 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 396, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 16 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 41 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 584 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams