Inspired from a lemon festival in France, this simple dish has a zesty lemon flavor and is prepared with a few simple ingredients in less than an hour. The sauce can be prepared creamy or authentic with no heavy cream.
6 chicken thighs, with skin
salt and pepper
1 T. flour
1 T. unsalted butter, for cooking the chicken
1 t. olive oil, for cooking the chicken
2 bay leaves
1 shallot, finely diced
cloves from 1 whole garlic bulb, sliced and germs removed
17 oz. white chicken stock
2 oz. white wine
1 T. dried mixed herbs
1 lemon, skin and white part peeled, then sliced
5 oz. or less heavy cream, optional
parsley or thyme, for garnish, optional
Bring the stock to a gentle boil; add the garlic slices; let simmer for 5 minutes; remove from heat. Set aside.
While heating and simmering the stock, season chicken with salt and pepper; dust chicken with flour.
Heat the oil in an ovenproof Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; sear until golden brown on all sides (about 5 minutes per side). Once done, transfer chicken to a platter. Transfer and reserve the excess cooking fat to a small bowl.
Reduce the heat in the pot to medium; add the bay leaves. Once hot, add the shallots; cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
Deglaze the pot with wine; cook for a few minutes until the liquid becomes slightly syrupy; add the stock; bring to a boil.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Season the stock; add the herbs and lemon pieces. Return the chicken to the pot; moisten chicken by drizzling with the reserved cooking fat. Cover; cook in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot; set aside.
Finish the sauce on the stovetop by bringing the liquid to a gentle boil and reducing it for a few minutes to concentrate the flavor and thicken the sauce slightly.
Ladle the sauce over the chicken as is or for a creamy sauce, add an equal amount of cream (up to 5 oz.) to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil; reduce until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
To finish the sauce, adjust the seasoning to taste.
Transfer the chicken to a serving dish or platter, ladle the sauce over the top, and garnish with fresh herbs and thin slices of fresh lemon.
4-6 servings.