Recipe: Baked Lemon-Pepper Chicken Breast

As the chicken bakes it will fill your kitchen with a delightful aroma!

What you need for 2 servings:

• 2 split chicken breasts (1/2 breast per person)
• 1 Tablespoon butter cut into 4 pieces
• 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns (or 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper if you don't have a coffee/spice grinder)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2+ teaspoon salt

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees, set rack in the middle.  Lightly coat the bottom of your baking dish with olive oil.

Rinse well and pat dry the chicken breasts.  For each piece of chicken: Create a pocket between the skin and the meat.  Using your finger lift the skin off the breast gently and place one piece of the butter at the far end and a second piece midway.

Carefully dab the chicken breasts with the olive oil (you can use a paper towel).  Place into your baking dish.

Now, zest the lemon.  I have an old grater box that I use, but a zester is a great kitchen tool.   Set aside.

Take the peppercorns and place into your coffee/spice grinder (I don't grind coffee in mine!) and grind into a coarse powder.  Add in the lemon zest.  Grind/pulse a few times to blend together.  Place in a small bowl and add the onion powder and the salt.  Stir well.  If you are using ground black pepper, then just add all the ingredients together.

Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix onto each of the chicken breasts (top and sides as best you can)  The remaining seasoning mix can be used to make a gravy once the chicken has finished baking! (Or if you are not making the gravy, just coat the chicken lots!)

Place chicken in oven and bake for 1 hour, or until juices run clear when pierced.

Remove cooked chicken from baking dish, set on plates and serve with side veggies!  (We had brocoli and "mashed" caulifower to enjoy with the gravy!)

Optional Gravy:  Spoon out some of the oil/fat from the baking dish and make a gravy adding in the remaining lemon-pepper-onion powder-salt mix.  Place baking dish over heated stove top (cermaic cook top is OK, gas stoves be very careful!). Add 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2) with 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (regular mustard does NOT work).  Whisk very, very well over heat until it begins to bubble. Remove and pour into a small pitcher/gravy bowl.

Enjoy!

Fifi