SAUTÉED LEMON PARSLEY CHICKEN

Ciao'd after unloading a quarter cord of firewood. Walnut, almond, oak.

After the holiday excess, the ease.  Forget the Whole30, the 21-Day Reset, and Lord, help us all, the Gwyneth Paltrow GOOP stuff. As Julia Child said, “Everything in moderation” (as she sipped her upside down Martini).

Unless your moderation equals Cheetos, Diet Coke and hey, it’s lo-cal Caesar Salad (it’s not), you don’t have to flagellate yourself. Eat close to the earth. That means stuff that grows in it, is plucked from it, and comes to you in its naked state (read: farmers market or produce department, grass-fed butchery, no ingredients you can’t pronounce). Cook wisely more times than not (read: fry for frivolity). Drink sagely (White spirits over brown. Wine is a free-for-all).  Eat your vegetables, the greener, the better.  If you deprive yourself, you’ll gorge yourself. And while that’s fun, chances are you’ll hate yourself the next morning as I do way too often. As I tell my teenage son, “Make good choices.” We’re all adults. We should have that one down pat (of butter).

RECIPE

SAUTÉED LEMON PARSLEY CHICKEN

Freshly squeezed lemon plus its zest, coupled with fresh parsley, deliver a zing and brightness to this super-simple dish whose taste belies its wholesomeness. 

Serves 4

6 skin-on, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Put the chicken on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 

In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil with the garlic. Add the chicken and sauté, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium. Remove the garlic. Add the lemon juice and zest to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, stirring to remove the cooked bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the parsley and butter to the pan. Once the butter has melted, reduce the heat to low and return the chicken thighs to the pan. Turn the chicken thighs to coat them with the sauce. Serve drizzled with the sauce and garnished with more finely chopped fresh parsley.