Try something new with roasted lemons and garlic. With whole lemons (you can eat the peel and the fruit in its entirety) and garlic, a high-temperature roast mellows out any harshness, so don’t fear the amount. You’ll be making this sophisticated, winterized take on Caesar salad every week thanks to its ease of preparation and clean-up.
Roasting technique
This one-skillet meal works well in both conventional and convection ovens, crisping the chicken skin, croutons, and kale quickly to retain their juicy flavour. A relatively quick roast means dinner is on the table ASAP.
Make-ahead
Serve this roast the next day for a chilled wintry panzanella lunch. Shred chicken when it’s cool, toss with salad, and enjoy at home or to go.
Roasted Garlic, Lemon, Chicken, and Kale Skillet Caesar
Ingredients
- 1/2 whole chicken, skin and bones intact, cut into 4 portions (breast, thigh, leg, and wing)
- 4 whole garlic cloves, skin intact
- 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt, plus more to taste
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground black pepper
- 2 slices whole grain sourdough bread or gluten-free bread, roughly torn
- 1 bunch lacinato or curly kale, stems removed, roughly torn
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 mL) gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories341
- protein22g
- fat18g
- saturated fat4g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates27g
- sugars1g
- fibre4g
- sodium <373mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). To large cast iron skillet or ovenproof high-sided skillet, add chicken, garlic, and lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until juices run clear on chicken. Transfer chicken and garlic to plate; set aside and leave oven on.
02
To hot skillet with lemon, toss bread and kale together, add back to oven, and roast until kale is wilted and dark green, about 5 minutes.
03
Meanwhile, for dressing, squish now-soft garlic out of its papers into small bowl, discard garlic paper, and whisk in oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce until combined. When kale mixture is out of oven, toss with roasted garlic dressing, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
04
Add chicken pieces back to skillet and serve family style, or plate warm kale mixture with chicken on top.
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Check out her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016).
