Lemon & Pepper Chicken

Boy oh boy is this chick happy! I FINALLY figured out how to make a true Lemon Pepper Chicken. Let me clarify. When I say lemon chicken, I don't mean a few slices of lemon over roasted chicken parts for minimal lemony taste.

I mean LEMON. I explained it to my sister as "that tartness that jolts the back of your jaw causing you to smack because the flavor is so good." THAT'S the taste I'm talking about. 

So when my parents came over the other day, I arbitrarily set out a pack of chicken legs before going to work not knowing what I wanted to do with it, but did know I wanted it to be delicious.

AND... IT... WAS.

Here we go.

Gather these goodies:

2 pounds of chicken (about 9-10 pieces)

4 small lemons

1 TBS salt

1/2 Tbs pepper

Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, bake and serve. Just kidding.

Wash chicken. Juice all 4 lemons and using your grater, combine the zest of one lemon into a bowl. Add 1/2 Tbs of salt and all your pepper. Mix. Place all of your mix and chicken in a plastic bag and marinate for AT LEAST an hour. Seriously, you can't just make this on a whim and expect your jaws to respond.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken and place in a oven safe dish for baking. Season evenly with the remaining salt and as much pepper as you want. As you can see, I used a lot because we love pepper.

Preserve marinade. You'll need it later. I already hear you - "Pascale what about the raw chicken that's in that marinade? You'll get sick!" - Just do it, okay? If it makes you feel better, do what I did - pop it in the microwave for about 60 seconds. Problem solved.

Bake chicken until cooked thoroughly - basting the remaining marinade over the chicken periodically - approximately 30-45 minutes - until juices run clear.

BOOM. Serve with whatever sides you want. I added sauteed squash and onions and used a quick fix pack of Idaho potatoes.

If you try it, let me know how ya like it!