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Kotopoulo Lemonato

Kotopoulo Lemonato

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Every Greek family has a Kotopoulo Lemonato recipe.  Kotopoulo means chicken and lemonato, which means lemony, is the method the dish is cooked with lemon and usually with oregano.

This lemonato recipe is a dish we did not eat in Cyprus but I learned the recipe from my mother in law.

When I first ate this dish I can’t say that I liked it as we rarely use oregano in Cyprus, so I was not accustomed to its taste.  However, when I started making it myself, I adjusted the recipe, adding just a little oregano.  However, as the years passed I gradually got accustomed with its flavour and  kept adding more.  Now, I love everything with oregano!

Kotopoulo lemonato picture

I love anything with lemon in it, so I also add some zest in the recipe but depending on your taste, you can leave the zest out and add less lemon juice.

This Kotopoulo lemonato dish was one of my childrens favourite dishes when they were kids. The potatoes are like sponges that suck up this delicious lemon flavor that is incredible, so they would mash the potatoes in the lemony sauce with the fork and make them like mashed potatoes.

Note:  If you do not have a sauteing pan, you can fry the potatoes and chicken in a frying pan and then cook them in a pot.

collage Kotopoulo lemonato image

Kotopoulo Lemonato (Chicken With Lemon)

Preparation time:  15 minutes

Cooking time:  1 hour

Serves:  6

  • 1 whole chicken about 1 ½ kilos cut into portions or chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 10 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water

Directions:

  1. Peel the potatoes and put them in a bowl with water.
  2. Wash and cut the chicken into portions.
  3. Drain the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces.  Pat dry the chicken.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a sautéing pan.
  5. Sauté the potatoes until lightly coloured on both sides and remove to a platter.   Add the chicken and sauté in batches on both sides.
  6. Put the potatoes back in the sautéing pan and season with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme.
  7. Add the zest, lemon juice and broth or water and cover with lid.
  8. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the chicken and potatoes are soft, for about 45 minutes.
Kotopoulo Lemonato

Kotopoulo Lemonato

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Every Greek family has a Kotopoulo Lemonato recipe  Kotopoulo means chicken and lemonato, which means lemony, is the method the dish is cooked with lemon and usually with oregano 

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken about 1 ½ kilos cut into portions or chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 10 medium potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water

Instructions

  1. Peel the potatoes and put them in a bowl with water.
  2. Wash and cut the chicken into portions.
  3. Drain the potatoes and cut them into smaller pieces  Pat dry the chicken.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a sautéing pan.
  5. Sauté the potatoes until lightly coloured on both sides and remove to a platter  Add the chicken and sauté in batches on both sides.
  6. Put the potatoes back in the sautéing pan and season with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme.
  7. Add the zest, lemon juice and broth or water and cover with lid.
  8. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the chicken and potatoes are soft, for about 45 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

collage Greek kotopoulo lemonato image

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!

signature Ivy

 

 

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