Chicken with lemon - delicious in more ways than one

In my neverending quest to find uncomplicated, quick-to-make meals, I came across this recipe in delicious magazine.  It would not usually leap out, as it looks fairly nondescript, but it does contain lemon, butter, white wine and chicken, which is always a wonderful combination.

Chef Tobie Puttock describes how this dish was very popular when he was an apprentice at Caffe e Cucina in Melbourne, and how it can be made in one pan.  You're preaching to the converted, Tobie.  'Tagliata' means 'cut' in Italian, and the chicken is finely sliced to promote quick cooking.  The original recipe calls for chicken breast fillets to be used, but I used chicken thigh fillets instead, as the flavour and texture are much better and the meat does not dry out so easily should you leave it in the pan for too long.

Maltagliata di pollo con limone
(pan-fried chicken with lemon)
serves 2

Ingredients
1 lemon
2 tbs olive oil
20g unsalted butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
400g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 5mm strips
100ml dry white wine
100ml chicken stock
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp roughly chopped marjoram or parsley
rocket salad, to serve

Method
1.  Cut thin strips of lemon rind using a zester, then peel the lemon and thinly slice the flesh. Set aside.
2.  Heat 1 tbs oil and 10g butter in a large non-stick frypan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.  Remove from pan and set aside.
3.  Add remaining oil and butter to the pan.  Toss the chicken in the flour to coar.  Shake off excess flour and add chicken to the pan.  Cook chicken in batches for 1 minute, until golden.
4.  Return onion and all the chicken to the pan.  Add the wine, then simmer for 1-2 minutes until almost evaporated.
5.  Add lemon zest, lemon slices, sugar and stock.  Bring to the boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half and the chicken is cooked.
6.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir through the herbs.  Serve with rocket salad.

Recipe adapted from delicious (Dec 2009/Jan 2010)

Chicken not shown (nothing attractive about raw chicken, I've found)

After adding and simmering the wine, stock and lemon, the sauce becomes thick and syrupy.  Sprinkle with herbs for flavour and colour.

This is a light, flavoursome dish...

...and very tempting to Tabitha cat when dining alfresco...