Lemon Artichoke Chicken

My friend, Aimee, first made this for Mike and I when we lived in California.  She shared the recipe with me and I cooked it a few times.  And although I looked back fondly on the dish, I haven't cooked it since.  Well, when I asked my friends for topics for this blog Aimee suggested Lemon Artichoke Chicken and said she had lost the recipe.


I Googled the recipe and Aimee and I are pretty sure the original one (for us, anyway) is from Sunset Magazine.  Here it is:

Ingredients

• 4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (about 8 oz. each), rinsed, dried, and pounded to an even thickness of 1/4 to 1/2 inch 
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add chicken in batches and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and add artichoke hearts.
• 2. Add sherry, lemon peel, and lemon juice to remaining butter in frying pan; stir over medium heat until well blended and hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and stir. Remove from heat and pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.
• 3. Bake until sauce is bubbling and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Submitted to Sunset Magazine by Charlotte Corkery, Auburn, CA
FEBRUARY 2006

I put the chicken breast between two pieces of plastic
and use a rolling pin to pound it flat.

This recipe is so good.  You can substitute dried lemon peel and canned lemon juice, but trust me, the fresh makes this dish.  You only need one lemon for the recipe.  You can cut fat and calories by using skim evaporated milk, but again, that 1/2 cup of heavy cream makes the sauce scrumptous.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by,

Natosha

p.s.  Sorry about the color of the text and all the white.  Technical difficulties.