Breaded Lemon Chicken
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut and pounded into uniform shapes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for prepping chicken.
3 lemons
Zest and and slices of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon, set aside
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 cups cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Lightly drizzle oil on one side of the chicken. Add lemon zest and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour evenly over the chicken, and press to adhere and coat. Flip chicken breasts and repeat.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and sear until golden, about 5 minutes per side (the chicken will continue in step 5). Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a large plate.
In the same skillet, combine the butter and lemon slices. Sear the lemon until caramelized, about 30 seconds per side. Remove the lemon from the pan and set it aside with the chicken.
in the same skillet, add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch or two of red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the wine and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the chicken to the skillet, increase the heat to medium, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and top it with basil and the caramelized lemon slices. Spoon the sauce over the top and scatter the tomatoes all around.
Sometimes the best recipes are those that engage you to use up what you have plenty of. In this case, it was aging cherry tomatoes and lemons. Fit for summertime, but it was quite tasty in the heart of winter as well.
~Michael