Excerpted from Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins’ The Silver Palate Cookbook.

This chicken has a crisp golden crust and the zing of fresh lemon. It’s great hot, and also terrific cold, making it perfect picnic fare.

Fried Lemon Chicken

Serves 6 or more

Ingredients

• 2 chickens (2½ pounds each), cut into quarters
• 2 cups fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup corn oil
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup Chicken Stock (page 416)
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 lemons, sliced paper-thin

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken pieces and lemon juice in a bowl just large enough to hold them comfortably. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Drain the chicken thoroughly and pat dry. Fill a plastic bag with the flour, salt, paprika, and black pepper, and shake well to mix. Put 2 pieces of chicken into the bag at a time and shake, coating completely. Shake off any excess flour.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Heat the corn oil in a frying pan or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, until well browned and crisp. This will take about 10 minutes per batch.
5. Arrange the browned chicken in a single layer in a large shallow baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the lemon zest and brown sugar. Mix the chicken stock and lemon extract together and pour around the chicken pieces. Set a thin lemon slice on top of each piece of chicken.
6. Bake the chicken until tender, 50 minutes.

About the Book:

Enriched with full-color photographs in honor of its twenty-fifth anniversary, The Silver Palate Cookbook is the beloved classic that brings a new passion for food and entertaining into American homes. Its 350 flawlessly seasoned, stand-out dishes make every occasion special, and its recipes, featuring vibrant, pure ingredients, are a pleasure to cook. Brimming with kitchen wisdom, cooking tips, information about domestic and imported ingredients, menus, quotes, and lore, this timeless book feels as fresh and exciting as the day it was first published. Every reader will fall in love with cooking all over again.

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