Creamy Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

After what felt like a particularly cold winter we are in full spring mode, hooray! The worst should be behind us now and I have a suitably zesty and lemony fresh recipe to get you into a sunshiny mood. If you are lucky you may even have a lemon tree in your garden with fresh lemons that you can use to make this amazingly creamy sauce. We have one which was given to us by some good friends several years ago, soon after we moved into our then new home. Fortunately it has not succumbed to drought, pests or a lack of conversation but it has not exactly flourished either. In fact, nearly six years after we planted it, I think it is roughly the same height as it was when we got it, give or take a few extra leaves on either side. So until our stunted tree can get its act together it is store-bought lemons for us! 

I do love using lemons in my cooking and they work brilliantly in poultry dishes. These ready-in-an-hour tender chicken thighs are soaked in a rich and creamy sauce made with fresh rosemary, and can be served with low-carb cauliflower rice, full carb regular rice or roasted veggies.  

Happy spring! And if anyone has green fingers and some lemon tree tips pretty please share your wisdom in the comments section below. 

_________________________

CREAMY CHICKEN 

with LEMON AND ROSEMARY

Serves 4

a drizzle of olive oil
4 chicken thighs (about 600g)
salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
100g mushrooms, sliced
100g diced bacon
1 tbsp flour
2 tsp very finely chopped rosemary
1/4 cup masala wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
300ml chicken stock
1/2 cup cream

Step 1.) Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a griddle pan. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and cook over a high heat to brown on both sides. Leave them for a good few minutes so that they are well browned, then set aside.

Step 2.) Melt the butter in a deep saucepan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic, then add the mushrooms and bacon. Cook for a few minutes before stirring in the flour and rosemary.

Step 3.) Stir in the masala wine and lemon juice. Add the chicken stock and cream and stir to combine.

Step 4.) Add the chicken thighs back to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through. The chicken can be turned over halfway through.

Step 5.) Check the seasoning then serve with rice, potatoes or roasted veggies.