Name: Lemon-Saffron Chicken
Cook time: 6900 s
Total time: 6900 s
Yield: 4
Ingredients: bone in chicken quarters; medium onion, thinly sliced; tomato paste; paprika; white wine (sub: 1/2 c white/red wine vinegar); chicken stock; Juice of a lemon; saffron; sprigs tarragon; Salt and pepper to taste; Olive oil

Zachary Neman

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Or otherwise known as @cheffinwithzach. I would describe myself as both a nerd and foodie. I graduated college with a bachelor's degree in computer science (Yes, I could have coded the website myself, but I was lazy. My true passion is cooking (eating too, of course), and I decided to pursue all things food instead of entering the tech world.

I began making food content about a 2 years ago–I was instantly in love with the process of brainstorming creative content ideas then turning that into a reality. To me, food content means connecting with others through stories and new ideas about food while inspiring them to cook.

I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity and privilege to turn my passion my career. Right now, I'm creating cooking content and I couldn't be any happier.

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If you’re looking for a new way to do chicken, you’ve found the solution to your problems. This lemon-saffron chicken is the perfect combination of simple to make, delicious, and satiating. It’s aromatic, comforting, and makes use of pantry staples (aside from the tarragon and maybe the saffron). Whole bone-in chicken thighs are my favorite cut of chicken to slow-cook, breast is fine but keep it bone-in. It’s great for flavor and keeping the chicken nice and juicy. Now listen to me, always finish your braises by reducing the liquid into a thick sauce that’ll stick to the meat. This is the easiest way to elevate it to the next level and the extra 10-15 minutes makes a huge difference. I actually made this dish up–it sounded good in my head but tasted even better. 10/10 highly recommend.

Lemon-Saffron Chicken

Grind saffron into a powder. Add ice, lightly crush and mix. Set aside and let melt while doing the rest of the prep.

Generously season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear in a wide pan with olive oil over high heat until both sides are golden brown. Remove chicken from heat. Reduce heat to medium high.

white wine (sub: 1/2 c white/red wine vinegar)

Add the onion to the same pan with a pinch of salt. Once it begins to color, add tomato paste and paprika. Let that cook for another minute before adding in the white wine. Stir to incorporate then reduce until syrupy and the alcohol is cooked off. Pour in the chicken stock, saffron water, and add lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Add chicken legs, then place the tarragon on top. Cover and simmer for another hour–you can also do this in a 300ºF oven.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the lid and increase the heat to med high. Reduce, while basting the chicken, until the braising liquid is thick enough to stick to the chicken.