- Juice of 1 lemon
- 5 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts
- Zest of 1 lemon, in strips
- 8 sprigs thyme
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pure olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 cup Chicken Stock or low-salt canned chicken broth
- Juice of ½ lemon, plus a few drops
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Green and Yellow Squash Ribbons or any zucchini dish; thyme and zucchini are a superb combination
- Herbed Smashed Potatoes
- Confit Bayaldi
- For the chicken:
- Combine the lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts in a shallow pan and pour the lemon mixture over them, coating both sides. Scatter the zest, thyme, and pepper over both sides.
- Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 1 day.
- Preheat the oven for 400°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil until smoking over high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, then immediately transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken for 8 minutes. Turn and continue roasting until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and let rest at room temperature for 5 minutes, keeping warm.
- For the sauce:
- Pour off any grease and return the skillet to medium heat. Heat the olive oil until shimmering, then sauté the shallot for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Add the lemon juice and thyme, reduce the heat to medium-high, and boil gently until reduced by a little mote than half. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the butter.
- Taste and add more lemon juice if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
- To serve:
- Cut each breast on the bias into ½-inch slices. Place on a warm serving plate and spoon the sauce on top, to taste.