Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice

Sometimes it's funny to have one of those moments when you look at your sibling and thing "Wow, we really are related." Case in point: this delicious lemon chicken recipe. When I had first rented What Katie Ate from the library in Portland this was the very first recipe I decided to try. And when I was back in Texas and brought it home as part of my birthday loot? I asked Piper which recipe she'd like me to make and she immediately pointed to this one. Maybe it's DNA...or maybe it's the fact that this chicken looks (and tastes) so darn good.

The chicken has a sort of comforting, vaguely Chinese vibe but is kicked up a notch by the bright zing of lemon (and the jalapeno, if you decide to use it). And while the chicken would probably be just as great served with plain basmati rice, the special herbs mixed in make it all the more special. Relatively easy to prepare (the majority of the cooking time is just roasting in the oven, with a few stops along the way), the dressing is a breeze and the result is absolutely fantastic. So fantastic that Piper half-jokingly suggested that we make it again this week, only "make twice as much so I can eat all of it with my face."

Katie calls for three times as much lemon juice in her recipe, but when I tried it the first time I thought that it was just a bit too unbalanced. So I cut it down considerably--if you're a lemon hound, consider increasing the amount a bit or offering lemon wedges for your diners to garnish their meal as they please. Even with this amount of lemon you'll have a great little citrusy zip, so I would taste the dressing as you make it and adjust it accordingly.

Lemon Chicken with Herbed Rice (From What Katie Ate)

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 tbsp smoked paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 x 7 oz chicken breast fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp butter, melted
Green chile slices, to garnish

Lemon Sauce
1/3 c soy sauce
1/4 c lemon juice
1/2 c Italian salad dressing
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Herbed Rice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 c basmati rice, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, trimmed and very thinly sliced
Small handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. To make lemon sauce, combine all ingredients with a pinch of salt and pepper and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.

Mix together flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, then place in a shallow casserole dish. Brush each piece generously with the butter, then bake for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and pour the chilled sauce evenly over the top, then reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through but still tender.

Meanwhile, to prepare the herbed rice, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then pour in enough boiling water to cover the rice by 3/4 inch. Turn the heat down very low, cover with a tight fitting lid and leave to cook for 10-12 minutes (do not stir at all), then turn off heat and leave the pan to stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Once cooked, fluff the rice up with a fork. Add the scallion and parsley and season generously with salt and pepper.

Spoon the rice onto plates, top with chicken and sauce, scatter with chile and serve. Enjoy!