We’ve made this three times now and it rocks. Things I’ve learned/ refined along the way, if it helps: 1) Slice the lemons THIN. You can eat them, peel and all, after they’re cooked. If you don’t like lemons, skip this.
2) SMALL red potatoes, quartered. You want them to caramelize and crisp in the hot oven, not bake into mushy bleh.
3) The lemon-oil mixture needs to coat everything—first the beans, then the potatoes, and then the chicken. Rub the chicken breasts in the remaining mixture so it’s coated well on all sides. I didn’t marinate the chicken ahead of time but made sure I did rub the chicken in the mixture, and it was perfecto.
4) Cook for 45 minutes (not 50), remove chicken, cook for 5-10 more.
5) Cook it all in one pan. The point of this recipe, IMO, is its ease. Separating everything out would add more pans and complexity. And for god’s sake, use fresh green beans, not canned! Have fun, and enjoy!
Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.