garlic lemon chicken

Whew! THAT was a doozy. Two weeks of multiple people having multiple ear & strep infections, plus grading final exams & research papers - ughh! But all horrible things must come to an end, and so I'm finally alive & cooking again!!!

My first day back on the job yielded my favorite version of lemon chicken - heavy on the lemon & garlic, no sweetener, no capers. Perfection. I used cooking sherry, but a dry white wine would work, too. Serve with grilled veggies - it's filling enough without a starchy side. But if you absolutely must, it'd be amazing with orzo pasta.

PS-check out the new cooking times! Personally, I like it best when the time is listed in prep time (how long am I gonna be on my feet getting things ready?) and total cooking time (if I have to do stuff on the stove before it goes in the oven, I want to gauge the whole thing up front). Keep in mind that BOTH times are for a relatively seasoned home cook - those who know their way around their kitchen & have a general understanding of how dishes turn out, but who lack the ability to chop an onion in 3 seconds while simultaneously juggling knives behind their backs. If you're a kitchen almost-virgin, start out by doubling the prep time, just to be safe. Hope it helps you plan/envision/not begrudge me.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 cup flour
1 T pepper
1 T salt
2 T butter
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped (big pieces are essential)
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup cooking sherry
2 whole lemons, washed well and sliced

1. Pound chicken breasts until thin. Preheat oven to 350.
2. On a large plate, combine flour with pepper and salt.
3. Heat 2 T oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge chicken in flour.
4. In 2 batches, brown chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet.
5. Place browned chicken in preheated oven.
6. While chicken bakes, saute butter and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
7. Once butter turns golden, add lemon juice, sherry, and lemon slices.

8. Allow lemon juice mixture to reduce over medium heat until it's runny-syrupy (totally a word), about 10 minutes.
9. To serve, remove chicken to plate, and top with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and a bit of slices green onions.