FROM THE CONTESSA: TUSCAN LEMON CHICKEN

When you eat chicken as much as we do, you are always on the lookout for a new way to prepare it. Lemon chicken isn't a new concept nor is chicken on the grill. What takes this dish to a whole new level is Ina Garten's inimicable use of herbs and marinade. Having eaten this wonderful dish in The Palm restaurant in East Hampton, the Barefoot Contessa decided to try to replicate it at home. The results were a succulent, fragrant chicken that tastes as delicious the next day in a salad as it does right off the grill. The recipe comes from her Back to Basics cookbook.

Before the chicken goes into the marinade, the backbone and breastbone is removed so that it can be grilled flat under a weight (I used my old cast iron panini press; a brick wrapped in foil would work as well). I'm including directions for this as well. Don't shy away from this step. My knife skills could be better, yet I had no problem with this deboning. I used a combination of chicken shears and chef's knife.

1 (3 1/2 pound) chicken, flattened (see note below)

Kosher salt

2 tsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup good olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbs minced fresh rosemary leaves

freshly ground pepper (1 tsp)

1 lemon halved

PREPARE THE CHICKEN

Stand the chicken upright and cut out the backbone with a large kitchen knife or shears. Spread the chicken open on a board with the skin side down. Cut around and remove the breastbone with a boning knife. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the salt.

PREPARE THE MARINADE

Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and pepper in a glass dish (or, as I do, in a gallon-sized freezer bag). Add the flattened chicken and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

GRILL

Place the chicken, skin side up, on a preheated grill set to low. Weight it down and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight it down again, and cook for another 12-15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the grill for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, the cut the chicken into quarters, and sprinkle liberally with salt. Squeeze the grilled lemon over the chicken before serving.

Of course a larger chicken will require additional cooking time. I deboned the chicken this morning and prepared the marinade then as well. It took very little time. I love to use the grill since it cuts down on the pots and pans I'll have to wash.

I think we need to devolop something akin to a batting average for the cookbooks we use. I have to say Ina is batting pretty close to a thousand on this one.

"How easy is that?" LEMON CHICKEN WITH CREAMY PARMESAN POLENTA

I know I've said this before, but Ina Garten reigns supreme in my world. I recently purchased her latest cookbook, How Easy Is That, and have bookmarked quite a few recipes to try. At the rate she's going, I'll soon need an entire shelf just for her books. When you eat chicken as much as we do, you're always looking to change it up a bit. Sure I've made Ina's Tuscan lemon chicken, but the lemon chicken breasts looked divine. And, well, yes, we recently became reacquainted with grits and they were delectable, but I'm Italian, so that cheesy polenta was a must.

Lemon Chicken Breasts - Serves 4
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tbs minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tbs grated lemon zest (1-2 lemons)
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 chicken breasts, skin on (mine were on the bone; Ina's called for boneless) 6-8 oz each

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute (don't allow the garlic to brown). Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 tsp salt and pour into a 9X12 inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up OVER the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon into 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 35-45 minutes for bone in breasts (less for boneless), until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. You can place the chicken under the broiler if you wish the skin to brown more; I didn't. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

CREAMY PAREMESAN POLENTA - Serves 6
4 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium chicken broth)
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 cup yellow cornmeal, stone ground (like Ina, I used Quaker)
1 tbs Kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated cheese (I prefer Asiago and used it in place of Parmesan; it's less salty)
1/4 cup creme fraiche (I substituted sour cream)
2 tbs unsalted butter

Place the chicken broth in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the broth comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly for 10 minutes, until thickened. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the cheese, sour cream, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.
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TASTE NOTES
Where were these recipes when I was working full time and had to put dinner on the table in under 30 minutes or risk DSO falling asleep in his mashed potatoes? While there was some prep required for each dish,  both were uncomplicated and easy to get on the table in short order. The sauce on this chicken is the kind you want a loaf of bread to sop up. Given that we're both watching our weight and fat intake, this did not happen. But, in my next life, when I weigh 100 pounds, I intend to do just that. The polenta was a wonderful accompaniment to the chicken. The Asiago added the perfect nuttiness and it was hard not to go back for seconds. I'll be sauteeing the leftover polenta, another favorite way to eat this dish. DSO and I both prefer dark meat, so next time I'll make this with thighs and legs (and cut out the starch so I can enjoy some ciabatta, the better to capture that sauce.

CREAMY (DREAMY) CHEDDAR GRITS

The last time I tasted grits was about 20 years ago when I traveled south and stopped in South Carolina for breakfast. While I love polenta, I didn't much care for the grits I was served with my eggs and I hadn't had them since. Then, while leafing through Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, I lingered on the photograph of Ina's creamy cheddar grits and thought they'd be the perfect accompaniment to her Tuscan Lemon Chicken. Never having made grits, I didn't realize how generous this portion, which does note that it serves 6, would be. All the better to enjoy as leftovers!

2 tsp Kosher salt
1 cup fine quick-cooking grits (NOT INSTANT)
1 1/4 cups half and half (I used fat free half and half)
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups aged sharp cheddar cheese, grated, 4 oz (I used 2 % shredded cheddar)
1/2 cup chopped scallions

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan. Add the salt, then slowly add the grits in a thin, steady stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the grits thicken, about 5 - 7 minutes.

Add the half and half and butter to the grits and stir. The mixture will be thin, but will thicken as it cooks. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes, until very smooth and creamy.

Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and scallions. Add pepper to taste.
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TASTE NOTES
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! These were just incredible! I loved the thick creaminess interspersed with bits of scallion and gooey, melty cheese. The wonderful chicken was almost forgotten in our grits-induced carb haze. I need to figure out how many calories per serving because I'm going to want these again and again (DSO says, "Me, too"). Ina is a genius!