I think I have discovered my new favorite go-to dish. The other night we had a more casual dinner party with the neighbors, following the big BBQ party we had the week before. I wanted something simple and light but with lots of flavor so I looked no further than my Ina Garten cookbook collection. The Barefoot Contessa has never failed me before so I had high hopes for the chicken with shallots. As I often do, I decided to read the recipe online (the Food Network posts recipes from its shows) and see what the reviews were. It was the first time I had seen a Barefoot Contessa recipe receive anything less than a 5-star rating so I decided to heed the advice the reviewers had given. They found that the lemon juice in the shallot sauce was overpowering and recommended to reduce it by at least half. Done. (Instead of using the juice of three lemons, I simply squeezed one.) Apart from that and frying it in olive oil rather than canola, I followed the recipe to a T and it came out wonderfully.
I got my chicken breasts at Whole Foods where I had the butcher remove the bone but leave the skin. The chicken has a great crispy skin from frying in the pan and the perfect texture from baking in the oven (I used my new favorite frying pan that goes in the oven). The shallot sauce is the perfect blend of creamy, tangy deliciousness. If you are not a citrus fan, however, it might not be the dish for you because there is a definite hint of lemon juice. The shallots lend the perfect texture and sharp-yet-sweet flavor to the chicken. In an attempt to stay carb-free, we fried up some fresh zucchini and tossed together a quick cherry tomato and onion salad.
Thanks for the amazing recipe as usual, Ina. And Jeffrey, you are a lucky man.
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