Chicken with lime, garlic and coriander

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 8 chicken breast fillets, approx. 800 g, alternatively chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp, heaped cumin
• 1 tbsp, ground coriander powder, optional
• 1 tbsp, leveled salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp, heaped flour
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 large limes, untreated
• 500 ml chicken broth (jar)
• 4 spring onions
• 1 bunch coriander, alternatively basil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

simple, low-fat and high in protein

First, prepare the ingredients (including the spices) so you can cook without any hassle. Peel the garlic and either roughly chop it or press it through a garlic press. Wash the untreated (!) limes in hot water and dry them, then finely grate the zest of two limes (important for the citrus flavor). Squeeze the lime halves and set the juice aside. Now trim, wash, and slice the spring onions into rings. Keep the green and white rings separate. Wash the cilantro, separate the leaves from the stem, and chop them. If you don’t like cilantro, you can replace it with basil, although this will reduce the dish’s flavor. Preheat the oven to 190°C and prepare the chicken. The original recipe calls for skin-on chicken thighs, but I prefer leaner chicken breast fillets or inner fillets. These will be a bit drier, but they are lower in calories and easier to eat due to the lack of bones. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper (do not wash) and toss in a large bowl with the previously measured spice mix (salt, pepper, cumin, coriander powder) to coat all pieces well. The coriander powder is not included in the original recipe and can be omitted, but I like it better with it. Then sear the chicken pieces in olive oil on both sides (you want a nice dark crust) and set aside in a large casserole dish. When searing, do not add too much meat to the pan at once, otherwise the temperature will drop too quickly; instead, work in batches. The pan should have high sides, as the sauce will also be prepared in it. Alternatively, you can use a large, heavy stainless steel pot. Once the chicken is cooked, reduce the heat to about 2/3 and add the garlic and the white parts of the spring onions to the pan. Briefly sear, then add the flour and cook for 2 minutes until lightly browned. You can also omit the flour; it doesn’t contribute to the flavor, but just thickens the sauce nicely. Add the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir to dissolve any flour and scrape up any browned bits (roasted flavors) from the bottom of the pan. Then add the chicken stock, honey, lime juice, lime zest, and cilantro and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken (it doesn’t need to be completely covered) and place the casserole dish in the hot oven. The meat should be cooked through after 30-40 minutes, depending on whether you used breast or thigh. Add the green rings of the spring onions and garnish the plates with the remaining cilantro and the sliced ​​lime. Serve with rice or oven-baked, crispy potatoes (google “crispy smashed roasted potatoes”). As with many dishes, the sauce tastes even more intense the next day. So don’t throw away any leftovers! The original English recipe for Chicken with Lime, Garlic, and Cilantro comes from Emily Clifton, whose permission I asked to publish it here. I’ve slightly adjusted some of the measurements over time.