Cajun Spiced Lemon & Herb Skillet Chicken

Cast iron recipes from Charmaine Dupré's "Life Around the Table"

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This is my favorite way of baking chicken, and the onions brown so nicely that it gives you a beautiful brown sauce. Sometimes I’ll reserve the breasts to use in a salad and my husband and I will enjoy the other pieces for dinner. On a lower shelf in the oven, you can roast root vegetables in the first 30 minutes of cooking and have a full meal when the chicken is done.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lemon, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or tarragon

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 (4-pound) chicken, backbone removed and butterflied

1 Tbsp. Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp. flour mixed in 2 Tbsp. water to make a slurry

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Pour 2 Tbsp. olive oil into a 12-inch cast iron skillet and distribute the lemon slices, onions, and garlic on top. Lay the fresh herbs on top of the onions.
  3. Dry the chicken well with paper towels, then sprinkle all over with Cajun seasonings.
  4. Place the chicken over the mixture in the skillet, skin side up. Distribute the lemon slices in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and distribute the onion and garlic on top. Place the chicken, skin side down, on top of the onion and brush with about the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. 
  5. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes in the upper third of the oven. Pour the wine into the pan around the chicken and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160°F.
  6. Remove the chicken from the oven, cover the skillet tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut the chicken into quarters or eighths, sprinkle with salt, and arrange on a serving dish. Put the skillet on the stove with medium heat. Add the slurry and bring the mixture to a slow boil. Stir until thickened, adding a little more water if the sauce is too thick.
  7. Serve the sauce on the side with rice, potatoes, or thick slices of crusty bread.

This recipe is from Charmaine Dupré’s memoir, Life Around the Table: Living the Spirit of Hospitality at Home and Abroad, released on May 1 and available at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com. For signed copies, Dupré can be reached at cdupre@centurytel.net. Read an excerpt from the book, the chapter "Cast Iron Cooking" in our May 2021 issue.