Lemon and rosemary chicken

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 chicken breasts, total approx. 500 – 700 g
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• salt and pepper
• 3 lemons or 4 – 5 limes
• some olive oil
• 1 shot of white wine
• 1 cup of cream, approx. 200 g
• e.g. cayenne pepper or chili peppers
• possibly vegetable stock powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Wash the 4 chicken breasts and pat dry. Pluck about 2 pairs of rosemary leaves (or as many as you can manage) and prick them into the chicken breasts with a toothpick. About 5-10 leaves per side, depending on your rosemary preference. Then season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemons or limes and add the same amount of olive oil as the juice. Mix both until smooth. A fork works well, but a flat whisk is better. Drizzle the chicken breasts with the mixture and place them in a pan preheated to medium heat. Place a pot, another pan, or something else heavy on top of the chicken breasts. Fry the breasts twice on each side for about 4 minutes each time, always drizzling at least the top with the lemon and olive oil emulsion. For the last two turns, increase the heat to a slightly higher level (I go from level 5 to level 7) so the chicken breasts brown. Then remove the meat and place it on a plate. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine – about half a glass – and add the cup of cream. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and let the liquid simmer briefly. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Season the sauce to taste, adding a little vegetable stock powder (no more than a pinch or half a teaspoon) for a spicier flavor. Pasta goes well with this. But potatoes – Italians will forgive me – are just as delicious. By larding the meat with rosemary and weighing it down during cooking, a relatively large amount of cooking juices escapes from the meat, forming the base of the sauce. Due to the relatively large amount and the constant drizzling with the oil-lemon emulsion, the lemon penetrates the meat and makes it wonderfully fresh, summery and lemony.