Recipe: Baked lemon-Dijon chicken thighs with herbs
Chicken thighs achieve crispy deliciousness when marinated and baked at high heat. Debbie Arrington
Lemon, Dijon mustard and spring herbs create a flavorful marinade for this easy baked chicken dish. Lemons are still plentiful in March, when mustard is in full bloom. Lemons also are a nice complement to Dijon mustard, parsley and early-season perennial herbs such as oregano and thyme. That’s why this combination is perfect for the new season (or any time).
Chicken thighs are moist, economical and cook fast, which makes this main course ideal for weeknights, too. The chicken can marinate in the refrigerator during the day. Then pop it in the oven for dinner. The high baking temperature (425 degrees F.) crisps the chicken skin. The finishing salt gives it a little extra crunch.
Baked lemon-Dijon chicken thighs with spring herbs
Makes 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
2 lemons
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher or other coarse-grain salt, if desired
Instructions:
Trim any excess fat off of thighs. Pat dry.
Zest both lemons. Juice one lemon and reserve the other for later.
In a large bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Add chicken thighs to the marinade and turn to coat well. Let thighs marinate for at least 30 minutes. (If longer, cover and refrigerate while marinating, then bring to room temperature before baking.)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed sheet pan or shallow baking dish with foil or parchment paper. Make sure the dish is big enough that there’s room between each thigh.
Remove thighs from marinade and place, skin side up, on the covered pan or baking dish. Brush marinade over the top of thighs so each is well covered. Sprinkle a little kosher salt or other coarse salt over the top, if desired.
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until thighs are golden brown and meat juices are clear when thighs are pierced with a thin-bladed knife.
Cut remaining lemon and squeeze over the top of thighs just before serving.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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