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lemon garlic chicken

Lebanese lemon garlic chicken and potatoes

Chicken and potatoes with a vibrant lemon garlic sauce

Course Main Course
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword Comfort food, Soul food, Weeknight Dinner
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade

  • 750 g of chicken thighs or 1 quartered chicken
  • ½ teaspoon 7 spice
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoon regular olive oil

The aromatics

  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 3-4 cardamom pods
  • 5-7 black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • Boiling water

For the garlic lemon sauce

  • 4-6 cloves of garlic chopped
  • Juice of 2 lemons approx
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • teaspoon turmeric tiny pinch

For the potatoes

  • 4 medium potatoes
  • Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

To prepare the marinade

  1. In a bowl, add the 7 spice, turmeric, black pepper and salt with 2 tablespoon of regular olive oil.
  2. Add the washed chicken and rub in well, using your hands to get the marinade under the skin if necessary. Marinade for at least a few hours, preferably over night.

To make the lemon garlic chicken

  1. In a deep non stick pan, add a drizzle of regular olive oil and flash fry the chicken on medium high heat for around ten minutes till they brown
  2. Then add the aromatics (cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and bay leaves) as well as the onion that has been quartered and half a tablespoon of salt
  3. Cover with enough boiling water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and allow the chicken to simmer for around 45 minutes
  4. As the chicken simmers, chop the peeled potatoes into thickish rounds (around 2cm) and half fry in vegetable oil just until they are slightly golden. Transfer to a kitchen towel lined plate and set aside

To make the lemon garlic sauce

  1. Coarsely chop the cloves of garlic and add them to a small pan with the butter. Add a tiny pinch of turmeric and simmer on low just so the garlic starts to turn beige (not golden) for around five minutes
  2. Add the garlic butter mixture to the juice of two lemons. Mix well and set aside
  3. After 45 minutes of the chicken simmering, take out the aromatics and the onion
  4. Add the potatoes in between the chicken and pour over the garlic lemon mixture
  5. Simmer for another ten minutes on the hob or in the oven at (180C/350F), carefully taste the sauce before you turn the heat off and adjust the salt or seasoning if necessary
  6. Serve the chicken and potatoes in a shallow bowl with some of the garlic lemon sauce.