If there is one ingredient I believe is under-utilised in the kitchen it would have to be preserved lemons. They add such a depth to any dish they are thrown in to. They are usually sold in jars, the lemons already quartered. For this recipe you need two quarters and so if you do buy them whole, just cut the lemon in half. It is just the skin you need for this recipe but removing the fleshy pulp from the lemon is easy enough to do with your fingers.
It is very rare for me not to use salt in a dish but with the preserved lemon and prosciutto you really don’t need to season the dish with salt. Just a good amount of pepper before serving is also that is needed.
On a related note, preserving lemons is an excellent way to use up an excess. We have a fantastic recipe for them here.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tbls olive oil
900 g chicken thigh (approx. 4 large or 6 smaller thighs)
1 large sprig of rosemary, leaves only, chopped
2 preserved lemon quarters, skin only, medium sliced.
80 g prosciutto
Pepper
Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C
2. In a large fry pan heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs and leave for about 4 minutes, to brown on one side.
3. Place the chicken, the pan juices, rosemary and preserved lemons into a baking dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the tray from the oven and set aside. Turn the grill on and grill the prosciutto for a few minutes, or until crispy. Don’t leave the oven at this point as the prosciutto can burn quickly.
5. Crumble the crispy prosciutto on top of the chicken and sprinkle over a good pinch of pepper.
