Crying Onions

Last Monday, my wallet was stolen. After being emptied of cash and credit cards, it was returned a couple days later, but my grocery shopping days were over until I could get my hands on some money. Experienced bloggers probably have an arsenal of unpublished posts ready to go in case of a crisis like this. But the whole blogging thing is pretty new for me, so I was caught off guard. Now that I have money again, it’s bye bye frozen leftovers, and hello freshly cooked homemade meals. You have no idea just how excited I am.

Just before my wallet was stolen, I was planning on making chicken picatta for dinner. But over the course of a pasta-filled week, my craving for yet another Italian dinner has temporarily evaporated. Lemon chicken channels the essence of chicken picatta, but strips the classic of its rich butter sauce in favor of a clean, bright tang that is absolutely mouthwatering. As the chicken cooks, some of the sugars in the lemon juice begin to caramelize, adding a complex and slightly sweet note to an otherwise simple dish.

Contributing to my willingness to make food that requires the use of a stove is my recent purchase of an air conditioner, which I swore mere days ago that I would not buy because I didn’t want to pay the electricity bills, only to come home to the hottest, most humid night of trying to sleep yet this summer. Thankfully, my resolve quickly dissolved, and suddenly using the stove has become a real possibility. This was the perfect simple yet exciting summer meal to get me out of the frozen food doldrums.

It feels good to be back.

Recipe courtesy of Eric Engelstein

What you need:

• 1 lb chicken breast, pounded thin (or thin sliced) and cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
• lawry’s seasoning salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• juice of 3 lemons
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced into small matchsticks

What to do:

1. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Place chicken in the lemon juice to marinate for about 5 minutes. Note: don’t let it marinate too long or the lemon juice will start to cook the chicken
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add chicken, reserving marinade, and cook, flipping once, until nearly cooked through
5. Add reserved marinade and heat until boiling and until chicken starts to get a golden brown glaze.
6. Serve immediately, being sure to scrape up the garlic bits from the bottom of the pan. They’re the best part!

Tags: chicken

Posted August 25th, 2009 at 7:12 pm. Categories: main courses. Leave a comment or trackback from your own site.