SPICY GINGER AND LEMON CHICKEN

Spicy Ginger and Lemon Chicken image

This piquant chicken dish was brought to The Times in 1993 by the legendary French chef, Jacques Pépin. It is made with chicken legs that are skinned and then cooked with lemon and orange peels, fresh ginger, chile powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic and apple cider - a sweet and spicy mixture that pairs beautifully with the rich, dark meat of the chicken. It can be made ahead and reheated, so it makes a perfect dinner party entree.

Provided by Jacques Pepin

Time 35m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken legs (about 4 pounds), skin removed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon flour
6 peels of lemon, cut off with a vegetable peeler
6 peels of orange, cut off with a vegetable peeler
1/4 cup ginger pieces (washed, but not peeled)
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup sweet apple cider

Steps:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken legs in one layer, and brown them over medium to high heat, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and return the chicken to pan. Cover, and cook gently for 15 minutes or until done. Serve, one leg per person, with some of the cooking juices.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 612, UnsaturatedFat 26 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 40 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 38 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 590 milligrams, Sugar 17 grams, TransFat 0 grams