Lemon chicken with a twist

A simple family recipe with a twist.  French style lemon chicken recipe with native Australian spices (lemon myrtle and Tasmanian pepper berry). 

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 chicken about 1.2 kg 
• 200 ml cream (heavy whipping cream) 
• Fresh lemon thyme (1 handful) 

• Juice of 2 lemons  
• 2 pinches of salt 
• 2 pinches of crushed Tasmanian pepper berries (or black pepper) 
• 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon myrtle. 
• 2 ½ tablespoons of olive oil. 

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Joint chicken and reserve left over chicken bones chopped into pieces. 
• Pluck all thyme leaves save for 4 stalks. 
• Place chicken pieces in a bowl, sprinkle over salt, remaining sprigs of thyme pepper berries, lemon myrtle, lemon juice and olive oil and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic film and place in the fridge for one hour. 

• Remove the chicken pieces from the bowl, being careful to remove as much marinade from each piece as possible. 
• In a pot, pour about ½ tablespoon of olive oil and gently place chicken bones in and cook on medium heat for a short time – there should be only a little colouration. 
• Remove bones and cook chicken pieces for a short time, again avoiding much colouration. 
• Remove chicken, reduce heat to medium low, add back the bones and place chicken pieces over them.  Pour over any juices from the reserved bones and pieces.   
• Add thyme leaves and 2 strips of zested lemon.  Mix gently to ensure the zest is on the bottom of the pan and all chicken pieces have some thyme leaves attached. 

• Add salt and the Tasmanian pepper berries and cook, lid on, for 35 minutes. 
• Reserve chicken pieces in a dish and keep warm in an oven at about 60-70 C with the dish covered with foil. 
• Discard the bones, sieve the juices and return them to the pot, increase heat to high and reduce the stock for about 5 minutes. 
• Add the sieved marinade and bring to the boil. 
• Add the cream, return to the boil and reduce for about another 5 minutes. 

• Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces, garnish with lemon slices and some zest and pieces of thyme. 

Stephane