Anna Morse’s Lemon Chicken

6 to 8 pieces chicken, or 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 T lemon juice
⅓ c flour
1½ t salt
½ t paprika
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T butter, softened to room temperature
2 lemons, sliced ⅛–¼-inch thick
3 T firmly packed brown sugar
1 c low-sodium chicken stock

Set the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9×13 ovenproof glass baking pan with vegetable spray. If using a metal baking pan, line it with foil, shiny side up, and coat with vegetable 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. Place flour, salt and paprika in a plastic bag. Add chicken, seal, and shake to coat with flour. Place chicken in a strainer and tap over sink to remove excess flour. Set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in large, heavy 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.

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 30 minutes for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 40 to 45 minutes for bone-in pieces of chicken. Baste with pan juices at least once during cooking.

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