Lemon Baked Chicken
6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
1 lemon, thinly sliced, and 1 lemon squeezed
1 1/2 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb EVOO
1/4 c The Spicy Olive Oregano Balsamic Vinegar
Season the chicken with aromatic salt, arrange on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the sliced lemon in an oven-safe dish. Heat a non-stick pan over moderately high heat. Add The Spicy Olive’s Tuscan Herb EVOO and the chicken, skin side down. Brown well on both sides, about 6 minutes. Arrange the chicken over the lemon slices in the casserole dish.
Add the lemon juice and The Spicy Olive’s Oregano Balsamic Vinager to the pan and deglaze to a sauce consistency, ensuring you scrape up and save any browned bits. Pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Place the dish in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is tender and juices run clear.
Aromatic Salt
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 c. cooking salt
zest of 2 lemons, finely chopped
1.5 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
.5 tsp. freshly chopped fresh rosemary leaves
.5 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
Finely chop 2 of the garlic cloves, saving the third for later. Place all ingredients, except the bay leaves, in a processor and pulse just until the salt is slightly ground. Store mixture in an airtight container. Bury the final garlic clove and bay leaf in the salt mixture and refrigerate.