Spicy Ginger and Lemon Chicken

By Jacques Pepin

Spicy Ginger and Lemon Chicken
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(221)
Comments
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This piquant chicken dish was brought to The Times in 1993 by the legendary French chef, Jacques Pépin. It is made with chicken legs that are skinned and then cooked with lemon and orange peels, fresh ginger, chile powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic and apple cider – a sweet and spicy mixture that pairs beautifully with the rich, dark meat of the chicken. It can be made ahead and reheated, so it makes a perfect dinner party entree.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 6chicken legs (about 4 pounds), skin removed
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1teaspoon chile powder
  • 1teaspoon cumin
  • ½teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • ¼teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1tablespoon flour
  • 6peels of lemon, cut off with a vegetable peeler
  • 6peels of orange, cut off with a vegetable peeler
  • ¼cup ginger pieces (washed, but not peeled)
  • 4cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1cup sweet apple cider
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

612 calories; 40 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 590 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large saucepan until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken legs in one layer, and brown them over medium to high heat, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and return the chicken to pan. Cover, and cook gently for 15 minutes or until done. Serve, one leg per person, with some of the cooking juices.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
221 user ratings
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Comments

Lauren

six strips

Jacqueline

Is "six peels of lemon" the peels from 6 lemons, or six strips of zests from one lemon?

Jenni

Made this last night with about half the cayenne called for. It was delicious. I used chicken thighs instead of drumsticks and thus the browning stage took a little longer. I was distracted toward the end and put all the other ingredients in on top of the chicken, which worked fine. This is a keeper and I will definitely make it again.

Kerry

Question: If garlic and ginger are not cut into smaller pieces, does it get served as is, and eaten? Seems like a big chunk of either to bite into…the peels I think will be fine since thin but the other items? Recommendations appreciated!

Janice

Just tried this recipe. Love it! Absolutely delicious sauce and other than the chicken and ginger all will possibly be in your fridge or pantry. I used just 1/8 tsp cayenne. A suggestion would be that after the recipe is complete, cut the chicken off the bones and then into bite size pieces, then put the pieces back into the sauce. You then get the full benefit of the flavors.

tracy

Outstanding ! We used breasts, skinless and boneless. Everything else prepared according to Chef Jacques. I usually eat about 3-4 ounces of meat but this had me eating way more.

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