- 3 pounds of chicken (leg quarters
are fine)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice
- Salt & Pepper (liberal amounts of
both)
First prepare your chicken. If you are using
chicken leg quarters, then it takes about 4
quarters to make 3 pounds. Cut each at the
joint where the thigh meets the leg. Use a
small sharp knife, and feel for the joint
with your fingers. It takes a little
practice to find the joint, it is the place
where the thigh and leg wiggle together.
Once you find it the first time though, it
is very easy to find it again. Cut the thigh
and leg apart and set them aside until all
of them have been cut up. Your fingers will
get cold and slimy while you do this step.
That is all right. Each cold slimy finger
represents real cash savings. Doing this
yourself, instead of paying the butcher an
extra $1 a pound to cut up the chicken for
you is a great motivator, and hands are easy
to wash.
I like to leave the skin on the chicken for
this dish. The salty, lemon pepper flavor
makes the skin unusually tasty. If you are
watching fat and cholesterol though, you may
remove the skin before cooking.
Arrange the chicken in a large shallow
baking dish, like a cookie sheet. Sprinkle
each piece liberally with salt and pepper.
Dribble on the lemon juice. Bake the chicken
at 375° for about 45 minutes, or until the
chicken juices run clear when you poke the
biggest piece with a fork. If the juices are
still pink or red colored then put the
chicken back into the oven and cook it some
more. For extra flavor you can baste the
chicken with the lemon flavored pan juices
every 15 minutes or so. I often forget to do
this part because of the rowdy hungry
children dancing about my kitchen so close
to supper time. The chicken still turns out
really good.
This dish is very easy to prepare and tastes
good enough for company. Serve with Broccoli
in Cheese Sauce and Chicken flavored Rice a
Roni. Offer sliced oranges, or bananas and
yogurt with Chocolate Syrup for dessert.
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