Crispy Chicken with Lemon Orzo

by Susan Hana

This recipe from Ina Garten’s latest cookbook, Modern Comfort Food, would be perfect for a casual dinner party. Dredge skin-on, boneless chicken breasts in flour and pan-fry briefly before cooking them for 10 minutes in the oven. Return the pan to the stovetop, add butter and cook until the chicken is done. Serve with lemon orzo with feta cheese. Cook’s note: I did not use dill for the orzo.

Serves 4.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use butter that contains only cream and fresh lemon juice. Tre Stelle feta is additive-free. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

Crispy chicken

• 2/3 cup (165 ml) all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin-on (about 8 ounces/226 g each)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil
• 9 tablespoons (136 ml) unsalted butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) minced fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Lemon orzo with feta

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (250 ml) orzo
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced fresh dill
• 1 cup (250 ml) small-diced feta, preferably Greek (4 ounces/113 g)

Preparation:

Lemon orzo with feta

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts (2 L) of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt and the orzo. Return the water to a boil and simmer uncovered for 9 to 11 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Drain.
2. Transfer the orzo to a bowl and stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pepper. Fold in the feta and serve hot.

Crispy chicken

1. Heat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
2. Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pepper in a shallow bowl. Remove the tenders on the underside of the chicken breasts and save for another use. (This makes the chicken breasts an even thickness so they cook evenly.) Heat the canola oil and 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the butter together in a large (12-inch/30-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium heat until the butter has melted and begins to sizzle.
3. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Place the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet and cook over medium heat without moving for 12 minutes. With the chicken still skin side down, place the skillet in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium heat (careful; the handle will be hot!). Turn the chicken skin side up, add the remaining 5 tablespoons (75 ml) of butter, and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, until the butter is a nutty brown color and the chicken breasts are just cooked through. Off the heat, sprinkle on the parsley.
4. Divide the lemon orzo with feta among four dinner plates. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice each breast crosswise in thick slices. Arrange one breast on each plate with the orzo. Spoon a few tablespoons of the brown butter over each chicken breast, squeeze on some lemon, and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot with a fresh wedge of lemon on each plate..

From Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten