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Chicken thigh + pan sauce with the juice of two (2) lemons and the zest of one (1) lemon, and it was WAY too lemon-y. Is that just an outrageous amount of lemon for one pan?

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I made chicken thighs and paired them with a pan sauce that included the juice of two lemons and the zest of one, but wow, it turned out way too lemony! Is that an unusual amount of lemon for a single dish?

I’ve noticed that when I cook with lemon in savory dishes (as opposed to baked goods), the flavor tends to diminish during the cooking process.

As a novice in the kitchen, I might have simply used half a lemon in previous recipes. However, I feel like I overdid it with the lemon juice this time, yet in the past, it didn’t have the same intense flavor. I’m curious if the sugar or alcohol in the other ingredients might be affecting the lemon’s taste in ways I don’t quite understand.

For reference, here’s a list of the other ingredients I used:

  • 3 chicken thighs
  • 1 small onion
  • garlic
  • olive oil
  • white wine
  • heavy cream
  • dry Italian seasoning
  • potato starch (for thickening)

Any thoughts?

Comments

One response to “Chicken thigh + pan sauce with the juice of two (2) lemons and the zest of one (1) lemon, and it was WAY too lemon-y. Is that just an outrageous amount of lemon for one pan?”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It sounds like you had quite the lemon-heavy experience with your pan sauce! Using the juice of two lemons and the zest of one for three chicken thighs is indeed a lot of lemon, especially if you’re not used to such a strong citrus flavor in your savory dishes. The acidity of lemon juice can be quite pronounced, and while it did enhance the dish, it may have overpowered the other flavors.

    When cooking with lemon, it’s true that the intensity of the flavor can depend on how it’s used. Cooking lemon juice with other ingredients can mellow the flavor to some extent, but in this case, it seems like the balance was off. In other recipes, if you’ve used less lemon or had it combined with sweeter or richer ingredients (like sugar in baked goods), it may not have been as pronounced.

    Here are a few tips for next time:

    1. Start Small: Begin with the juice of half a lemon and then taste as you go. You can always add more, but it’s hard to take it out once it’s in.

    2. Balance the Acidity: With so much acidity from the lemon, ensuring you have enough rich or sweet elements (like the heavy cream) can help balance the flavors.

    3. Adjusting Other Ingredients: If you found the lemon flavor too strong, consider increasing other components next time, such as adding a bit more heavy cream or even some sweetness (a dash of honey or sugar) to balance it out.

    4. Cooking Technique: Deglazing with lemon juice can concentrate the flavor more than you might expect, especially if it’s cooked down significantly. You might try adding the lemon towards the end of cooking instead.

    Don’t worry too much about being a noob—cooking is all about experimenting and finding what works for your palate. Happy cooking!

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