A few months ago I was in a supermarket that had a sale on leg quarters. A guy picked up a pack and stared at the contents and finally asked me what the heck they were. I guess he’d never seen a chicken leg and thigh still attached, even though he looked to be in his mid-30s. Leg quarters are also called whole legs and one is a perfect portion when cooking for one.
I love citrus with chicken and this recipe uses both lemon and orange zest. It’s adapted from a chapter on cooking for one in Jacques Pépin’s Cooking with Claudine. Claudine is his daughter and was a grad student when the cookbook and companion program on PBS appeared and the recipes are healthy, thrifty and easy to make.
He shows this entree with rice and broccoli side dishes, which I eat in one form or another quite a lot, so today I made couscous with sauteed green pepper for color. I had no apple cider and used orange juice instead; I also used orange juice for half the liquid to cook the couscous.
Ginger Citrus Chicken
Adapted from Cooking with Claudine
1 tsp olive oil
1 chicken leg quarter, skin removed
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cumin
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of cayenne
1/2 tsp flour
1 strip lemon peel (zest)*
1 strip orange peel (zest)
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup/2 oz apple cider
1/4 cup/2 oz water
*Take care to use only the zest and not the pith, the bitter white part underneath ~ ella.
In a skillet 10″ or larger, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the leg quarter and brown it, turning from time to time, about 10 to 12 minutes in all.
Add all the other ingredients, mix well and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 15 miinutes, until chicken is cooked through.
Remove zest strips and garlic and serve the pan juices with the chicken.
Serves 1
Ella’s Tips: If you’re new to cooking, an easy way to remove skin from chicken is to use paper towels to hold it and to grab the skin. It’ll pull right off. For this recipe Jacques also chops off the end of the drumstick, which certainly makes skin removal easier, but I don’t bother.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll have to try this one. I like white meat much more than dark; so I’m always looking for recipes to make the cheaper dark meat more palatable.
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I think a lot of Americans feel as you do. I like dark meat for its extra flavor and moisture. There are a couple good recipes for thighs here that I really enjoy.