Roasted Lemon-Herb Chicken

Serves 8

This recipe comes to us courtesy of the Renegade Lunch Lady Chef Ann Cooper and her book  Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children. One of the biggest complaints about chicken is that the breast tends to dry out during cooking. In this recipe, brining the meat overnight makes it moist and extremely flavorful. If you decide to use boneless chicken it’s only necessary to brine it for 2 to 3 hours. This is a good choice for school lunch as long as your child’s lunch box contains an ice pack.

Nutrition

As provided in  Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children Per serving: 124 calories (38 from fat), 4g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 59mg cholesterol, 1834mg sodium, 2g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 18g protein

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken parts (8 pieces)
1 3/4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

The night before: Combine the lemon juice, salt and water in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day: Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. In a clean large bowl, combine the oil, herbs and pepper. Add the chicken and coat well. Cover and refrigerate for four to six hours to marinate.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken pieces on a cookie sheet and bake until cooked through, about 45 minutes.

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