Lemon Chicken

I love chicken, more than beef, pork, or any type of meat.  My favorite parts are the wings and the dark meat.  Chicken thighs were on sale at the grocery store so I bought some to make this chicken recipe I saw on Simply Recipes.  It's a very delicious recipe using a few simple ingredients.  I used dried herbs for this recipe because I did not have any fresh ones lying around.  At times like this I wish I had my own herb garden.

Lemon Chicken

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs. chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in

2 T lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T fresh chopped thyme (or 2 tsp dried)

1 T fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2-3 T melted butter (I used PAM)

lemon slices for garnish

Directions:

1. Place lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine.  With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch to help marinade penetrate.  Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade.  Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage).  Let marinate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove the chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a baking dish, skin side up.  Reserve the marinade.  Spray PAM or brush a little melted butter on top of chicken pieces.
3. Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear.  Half-way through the baking, at about 25 minutes, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade.  Let reset, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
4. Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl and skim the fat off the top.  Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.