Lemon Thyme Chicken

This Lemon Thyme Chicken recipe is a favorite in our home. It is sunny and lemony and goes well with pasta, rice, couscous, oven roasted potatoes or a dreamy potato purée,… There is just enough sauce to complement a side dish but it is light and there is no cream involved.
As you may know by now, you can always find thyme and lemons around my kitchen. I live near the tropics but my kitchen is closer to the Mediterranean sea than geography might suggest (:

This is a very easy and quick dish to put together. I use the technique of searing the chicken before finalizing the recipe because it gives a nice color and develops the chicken flavors. You can of course substitute the thyme with rosemary, oregano, basil or any herb you like. It is a good base that allows you to play with the ingredients you have on hand or the mood of the day.

Bon appétit! 

Lemon Thyme Chicken

recipe credits: Rafaella Sargi
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
8 pieces of chicken thighs (bone in, skin on). 
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed (you can substitute by 1 large onion, finely chopped)
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 large (or 2 small) lemon, thinly sliced into disks
5 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt
Black pepper

Directions
Scale and prep all the ingredients.
You will need on big pot with a lid and one baking sheet lined with paper towel.

In a large pot heat the olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and put them skin side down in the hot pot. Let them sear until lightly golden, turn them and sear the other side. Work in batches if the pot does not hold all the chicken pieces in one layer (it is important not to overcrowd the pot because you are looking for a nice sear). Once the chicken is golden, remove it from the pot and let it rest on the baking sheet lined with paper towel; it will drain out the fat excess. Set aside. (This step is to sear the chicken only. It will have the opportunity to cook through later on in the recipe.)
Remove all the rendered fat from the pot but 1 tablespoon.

On medium heat, add the onions and cook for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Pour the white wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, the seared chicken pieces, thinly sliced lemon and thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and let cook over medium low heat for 25 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through. Taste the sauce and correct seasoning.

Serve hot with potato purée, oven roasted potatoes, rice or pasta.… 

note: the lemon skin adds a little subtle bitter note to the dish. If you are preparing this dish for kids you might want to remove some of the lemon skin…