Chef Billy Parisi - The Greek Lemon Chicken We CAN'T Stop Eating
The video explains how to prepare Greek lemon chicken, emphasizing techniques to enhance flavor and texture. It begins with a marinade made from garlic, shallot, lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The chicken is marinated for 12 to 48 hours for maximum flavor. The video also covers how to fabricate a whole chicken, suggesting using the carcass for homemade stock. For cooking, the chicken is roasted in a large pan to avoid steaming, ensuring crispy skin. Potatoes are cooked separately to prevent them from becoming mushy, using a skillet to achieve a crispy texture. The final dish is assembled with the chicken and potatoes, topped with a sauce made from the pan drippings and chicken stock, finished with butter for richness. The video highlights the dish's cultural significance in Greece and offers practical tips for achieving the best results.
Key Points:
- Marinate chicken for 12-48 hours for enhanced flavor.
- Use a whole chicken for cost-effectiveness and homemade stock.
- Cook chicken spread out to avoid steaming and ensure crispy skin.
- Cook potatoes separately to prevent them from becoming mushy.
- Finish sauce with butter for added richness and flavor.
Details:
1. 🍋 Introduction to Greek Lemon Chicken
- Greek lemon chicken is praised for its simplicity and rich flavor, making it a perennial family favorite.
- The dish has been refined to enhance flavor and achieve crispier potatoes, suggesting a focus on cooking techniques.
- Greek lemon chicken is a traditional dish with a long history, indicating its cultural significance.
2. 🧄 Preparing the Marinade
- Use six finely grated cloves of garlic for the marinade.
- Grate in a half shallot or about 1 tablespoon of onion.
- Zest two lemons to obtain about 1/4 cup of zest, then juice them for approximately 6 tablespoons of liquid.
- Add 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard; yellow mustard is also acceptable.
- Include 1/2 teaspoon of smoked or sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons of dry oregano, and 5 to 6 sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Season generously with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Drizzle in 1/2 cup of olive oil while whisking to emulsify the marinade.
- Optionally, use a food processor to blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to thin the marinade, ensuring it stretches further.
- Taste to confirm the marinade is intensely flavored, ensuring a flavorful chicken.
3. 🍗 Fabricating the Chicken
3.1. Tools for Chicken Fabrication
3.2. Steps in Chicken Fabrication
3.3. Benefits and Uses of Fabricated Chicken
4. 🥣 Marinating and Cooking the Chicken
4.1. Marinating Techniques
4.2. Cooking Process
5. 🥔 Making Crispier Potatoes
- To avoid waterlogged, mushy potatoes, peel 3 lbs of large-sized Yukon Gold potatoes (russets or red potatoes can also be used).
- Cut potatoes into large wedges for better texture, and dry them thoroughly with paper towels to remove moisture.
- Season the potato wedges with salt, pepper, and your choice of herbs or spices to enhance flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F to ensure a high temperature for optimal browning.
- After 45 minutes of cooking chicken, uncover and roast the potatoes for an additional 35 to 40 minutes at the same temperature to achieve a crispy finish.
6. 🍽️ Final Touches and Plating
- Cook potatoes in a large 12-inch ceramic coated skillet with olive oil and high heat to achieve a crispy texture through the Maillard reaction.
- Let potatoes cook untouched for 3-4 minutes for browning, then flip for even crust formation. Season with salt and pepper.
- After initial stovetop cooking, bake potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes for even cooking.
- Add grated garlic and dry oregano to the hot potatoes post-baking to infuse flavors without overcooking the garlic.
- Enhance chicken flavor by deglazing the pan with one cup of chicken stock, reducing it for 4-5 minutes to thicken and concentrate flavors.
- Finish the sauce with one tablespoon of unsalted butter for a richer taste, then plate with potatoes and chicken, drizzling the sauce on top.
- Optionally, garnish with lemon slices and fresh oregano for added citrus flavor.
7. 👨🍳 Conclusion and Invitation
- Pairing simple ingredients with the right cooking techniques transforms them into 'comfort food magic'.
- For those who enjoy robust chicken flavors, a recommended video on chicken cacciatore is suggested as a must-see.