Lemon Chicken with Basil Sauce

Lemon chicken is the name of several dishes found around the world all of which feature chicken and lemon. A dish from Italy is called Pollo al Limone and in this dish a whole chicken is roasted with white wine, lemon juice, fresh thyme and mirepoix. If the dish is from Spain, it is called Pollo al Romero. It is a whole chicken with lemon sauce, pine nuts, rosemary and ham sautéed together. Made in France it usually includes Dijon mustard in the sauce and is accompanied by roasted potatoes.

Ingredients serve 4

3 Chicken fillets (1000 g)

700 ml chicken stock

1 small onion (100 g)

2 tsp dried basil

½ tsp salt

Pinch of white pepper

2 tbls butter (30 g)

¼ cup flour (30 g)

1 lemon

1 egg

4 tbls natural yoghurt (200g)

Cooked Rice

Vegetables

Method

Place chopped onion, ½ lemon sliced, 1 tsp basil, chicken stock, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring it to the boil for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken fillets and bring back to the boil. Put a lid on the pot and let it simmer gently for approx 25 minutes.

Melt butter in another saucepan, stir in the flour and whisk together.

Drain the juice from the saucepan containing the chicken breast through a sieve, slowly add to the saucepan with the butter and flour mix and bring to the boil while whisking.

Add lemon rind from ½ lemon and 1 tsp dried basil leaves.

Whisk 1 egg and yoghurt lightly together in a bowl and add to the sauce while whisking. Keep the sauce warm, but don’t bring it back to the boil.

Place the chicken on a cutting board and slice. 

Present sliced chicken nicely on a plate served with rice and vegetables.

Note: Rice is an excellent compliment to lemon sauce, however boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or couscous is also fine. Just use the combination you like of starch and vegetable.

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