Recipe: Tuscan Grilled Lemon Chicken

The inspiration for this wonderful, easy dish came from a meal I had in Siena.  There it was called Galletto ai Limone, and the whole chicken was cut and served. You can easily do that by doubling the basting sauce below, but for this version, I just used thighs.

Mis en Place

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

1 large lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 generous handful fresh chives, diced

Pinch crushed red pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

Trim both ends from the lemon,  this allows all the juice to easily be squeezed out.   In a medium bowl, squeeze the lemon juice and combine all ingredients except the chicken; taste for seasoning and set aside.  If some of the pulp from the lemon gets into the bowl, that's ok too.

Set the grill to medium high heat, season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill until cooked.  As the chicken nears completion, baste liberally with the sauce, reserving some of the sauce (about 2-3 tablespoons) for plating. 

When done, move to a platter, drizzle with remaining sauce and serve immediately.  The result is an incredibly fragrant, zesty and fresh chicken dish.  

Will pair great with any crisp, lemony white such as Pinot Grigio, Soave Classico, Sauvignon Blanc and even work well with a younger chianti or dolcetto. 

Delicious!
 

 Galletto ai Limone con erba cipollina