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Simply eat – the enjoyment column
Simple but unforgettable, this lemon chicken nourishes your belly and soul
A rosé crèmant made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc from the Loire goes well with the chicken. With fine bubbles and strong fruit
© Wolfgang Schardt; Maria Grossmann (styling); Roland Geiselmann (food styling)
In the middle of Mecklenburg, our columnist was expecting the best lemon chicken of her life. Here’s how to prepare it.
This is where I came home, even though I’ve never been here before. The wooden table is covered with a rustic linen tablecloth, the dining room is warmed by the fireplace. Outside: wide fields. Lemon chicken is already cooking in the oven, the scent of which wafts through the room. The meat will be so soft that it will melt in your mouth.
Near Lake Schaalsee in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, host Katharina Floder has created a paradise of peace with her guesthouse “Nest13”, which also includes a restaurant (only with advance reservation!). When you enter her house, which is made entirely of wood, your heart rate immediately drops. Your food nourishes your stomach and soul. So simple, so good that it will never be forgotten. If you want to recreate the lemon chicken – here’s how:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken (approx. 1.5 to 2 kg), preferably free-range
- 2 organic lemons
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 120 ml chicken stock or water
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Halve the lemons and squeeze out the juice. Set the lemon halves aside.
- Wash the chicken thoroughly and pat dry, both inside and out.
- Add the minced garlic and fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs to the chicken’s abdominal cavity.
- Rub the chicken with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Slightly lift the skin of the chicken and brush some olive oil underneath.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan or baking dish and pour the lemon juice over the chicken. Place the lemon halves next to it. Pour the chicken broth or water into the roasting pan.
- Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours. The exact cooking time depends on the size of the chicken. The chicken is ready when the juices that are squeezed out are clear and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Once roasted, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
- Serve the lemon chicken with the roasted lemon halves and the pan juices. Baked potatoes and winter vegetables go well with this.