Anna Morse's Lemon Chicken

I love any recipe that you 1:  just throw into a pan and let it cook itself and 2: tastes so good everyone loves it!  This recipe is courtesy of The Heirloom cooking of the Brass Sisters - mmmm, I've made this recipe so many times, this is my slightly adjusted version to make it more "Aussie easy".  Anna Morse was a member of a group of women who commuted daily from their Marblehead and Swampscott homes to Boston during the 1950s and 1960s. The friends enjoyed chatting and exchanging recipes during their train rides and referred to themselves as The Railroad Club. Eventually they formed an investment club. Most of the members have passed on, so we are grateful to Anne Kemelman, one of the club’s members, who gave the Brass Sisters the background for this recipe. Anne was married to mystery writer Harry Kemelman. A talented artist, Anne still paints at the age of 98.

               You will need:

8 skinless chickent thigh fillets

5 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄3 cup flour
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1⁄2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
2 lemons, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup low-salt chicken stock

1. Coat the bottom and sides of a large rectangular baking pan with cooking spray. If using a metal baking pan, line it with foil, shiny side up, and coat with spray. Rinse chicken under cold, running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place lemon juice in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in lemon juice, place on a platter, and set aside. Pour leftover lemon juice into prepared pan.

2. Place flour, salt and paprika in a big plastic clip shut bag. Add chicken, seal, and shake to coat with flour mix. Place chicken in a strainer and tap over sink to remove excess flour. Set aside.

3. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375°F.(180oC)

4. Melt olive oil and butter in a large, hearvy frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until both sides are golden brown. Remove chicken to prepared baking pan and scatter lemon slices over. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

5. Pour chicken stock into frying pan set over medium heat, and simmer, scraping with a wooden spoon to retrieve all of the browned bits clinging to bottom of the pan. Cook until slightly thickened. Pour sauce into a corner of the baking pan, being careful not to disrupt the lemon slices and the brown sugar topping. Gently shake pan to distribute sauce over bottom. Cover pan with foil and bake until chicken is cooked through, about I usually give it an hour - with bones in I would give it a bit more. We love this served with freshly steamed couscous, or simply fresh lovely rice and some green veg.