The Lemon-Sage Chicken served with Scallions and Pine Nut Rice is one of those recipes that almost didn’t make it online. It is too simple of a good dish. It’s so simple that it didn’t call for a post. There are no stories behind this recipe. Perhaps, the exception is the boyfriend firmly insisted I write about it. Why? He thinks this is one of the best dishes. He savored every bite. It caught him by surprise to learn this dish wasn’t being posted.

Difficulty taking a good photograph is why this recipe wasn’t being posted. This blog has limited resources, for a camera phone takes most of the images on this site. Yes. That is correct. Daylight is the fancy lighting set in the summer. During the shorter days of winter, soft light bulbs from ordinary lamps light the image. As a designer, styling food and manipulating photos is part of my creative-thinking experience. Not having a professional camera hasn’t stopped a growing passion.

The first set of pictures of this recipe was sloppy. Even with the boyfriend’s better camera phone, the pictures looked unappetizing. After the boyfriend’s tasteful insistence of posting this recipe, the images were restyled to create new results. The second set of pictures was better. Quite honestly, I’m thoroughly not convinced the photo of the Lemon-Sage Chicken has a “wow” factor. Words such as delicious, good, nice, and other common adjectives aren’t descriptive enough to describe the taste. It’s simply wow.

The image chosen for this post does the recipe slight justice, but think of the ingredients: Crispy, bone-in chicken with a fresh lemon juice, sage, and wine sauce over scallion-toasted pine nut rice. Does mentioning these fresh ingredients at least inspire your next recipe idea to try? The boyfriend highly recommends it.

Lemon-Sage Chicken

Ingredients
1/2 to 3/4 lb. chicken parts; with skin and bones; seasoned with red pepper, salt, and fresh black pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 small red onion; roughly chopped
1 garlic; minced
3/4 cup fresh sage; divided; finely chopped (any tough herb such as rosemary will make a great alternative)
The juice of two lemons
1 cup of white wine
2 oz. butter
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 to 2 bay leaves
Salt and fresh black pepper

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 425° F. Lightly dredge chicken in flour.

2. Warm olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until both sides are golden brown. Remove chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside.

3. Toss in onions and cook until translucent. Stir in half the sage, salt, both of the peppers, and garlic for 30 seconds.

4. Add the wine, chicken stock, bay leaves and the juice of one lemon. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to the skillet.

5. Cover skillet and move to the oven. Cook the chicken for an estimated 45 minutes. Remove the cover and let the chicken’s skin become crisp (about 5 minutes).

6. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir in butter, the juice from the second lemon and the last half of the sage into the sauce.

7. Place chicken on a plate and spoon sauce on top. Serve with Scallion and Pine Nut Rice.

Scallion and Pine Nut Rice

Ingredients
4 scallions; separate the green and white parts; finely chop both
2 to 3 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
1 cup white basmati rice
1 to 2 bay leaves
salt and fresh black pepper; to taste
1-3/4 to 2 cups water; add more for a softer texture or less for a firmer texture

Directions
1. Over medium heat, warm olive oil in a medium pot. Add the white part of the scallions and sauté for 30 seconds.

2. Mix in rice and stir until fragrant. Add water and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Stir only once.

3. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce temperature to a low heat. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let the rice steam for 5 minutes.

4. Remove lid and fluff rice with a fork. Let cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes uncovered. Mix in the green part of the scallions and the pine nuts.

5. Enjoy your favorite meal.