Italian lemon chicken recipe

This Italian classic meal uses vibrant lemon to complement the tender cut of chicken breast, perfect for a quick and simple family meal that everyone will enjoy. Served with crushed, olive oil potatoes and dill flavoured carrots, this is a filling dish as well as tasty. This recipe serves 4 people and should take 30 mins to cook. It would make a delicious lunch served the next day with salad.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skinned
• 1tbsp plain flour
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices of lemon
• 60g butter
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 4-5tbsp hot chicken stock
• 3tbsp chopped parsley

To serve:

• Crushed new potatoes, or mash, with olive oil
• Chantenay carrots, tossed in butter with dill

Method

1. Cut the chicken breasts open horizontally and put them on a piece of cling film. Put another sheet of film on top, then bash the meat with a rolling pin to about 1cm thick.
2. Season the flour on a plate. Coat chicken pieces in flour.
3. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan, add the lemon slices and cook until starting to caramelise. Take out and set aside.
4. Heat the rest of the oil with about two-thirds of the butter in the pan until foaming. Add the chicken escalopes and cook for 5 minutes on one side until nicely browned, then turn them over and cook for another 5 minutes over a low to medium heat. Take out of the pan and set aside in a warm oven.
5. Add the lemon juice and stock to the pan juices, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute. Whisk in the rest of the butter and add parsley. Spoon over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices.
6. For the crushed potatoes, boil potatoes until just tender, drain well, drizzle with oil and squash potatoes with a fork. Season well. For the carrots, boil them until just tender, drain well and put back in the pan, adding a knob of butter and torn dill sprigs. Serve with the chicken.