RECIPE I lemon herb chicken with grilled vegetables

In May, when the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer, the fresh and light lemon herb chicken with grilled vegetables is an ideal dish. It combines the vibrant flavours of lemon and herbs with the subtle smoky flavour of seasonal vegetables from the grill. This dish is not only easy to make, but also quick to prepare, perfect for a sunny spring day. This dish can be prepared perfectly indoors in the grill pan but just as well outdoors on the BBQ. For Dries, every occasion is a good time to fire up the barbecue and prepare delicious, flavoursome dishes over charcoal.

Ingredients:

for the chicken

• 4 chicken fillets or boneless chicken thighs (even more flavorful)
• 2 lemons (juice and zest)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• olive oil
• fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• fresh thyme, finely chopped

for the grilled vegetables

• 1 zucchini, in thick slices of +/- 1 cm
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 8
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 8
• 1 large red onion, cut into coarse rings
• 1 aubergine, in thick slices of +/- 1 cm
• olive oil
• chopped parsley for finishing

-> You can perfectly adjust the vegetables to your own preference, perfect accompaniments to this dish could be: white/green asparagus, mini corn, baby carrot, broccolini/bimi, ...

Preparation:

1. Make the marinade for the chicken: In a bowl, combine lemon juice and zest, minced garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
2. Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over them. Make sure the chicken is well covered. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or for a more intense flavor, leave overnight.
3. Mix the chopped vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper, until well coated. Use enough olive oil (especially for the eggplant)
4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat - this works perfectly on the BBQ too!
5. Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes per side, remove the chicken from the pan or BBQ and let it rest. Then grill the vegetables in the same pan until they are soft and have grill marks, about 5-6 minutes per side.
6. Slice the chicken and serve with the grilled vegetables on a platter. Garnish with fresh parsley.

This dish is wonderfully light and full of flavours, perfect for the first warmer days of May. Serve with a fresh couscous or quinoa salad for a more complete meal. Enjoy!

Matching wine:

Elegant and juicy wines can be used with this dish, but with a slightly spicy character due to the grilled aromas.

1. Corte Sant'Alda garganega I Soave I Italy
   a slightly richer and rounder white wine, with ripe aromas of quince and white stone fruit
2. Les Davids marselan I Vaucluse I France
   a fruit bomb with a spicy edge from the South of France from the Belgian Le Clercq family
3. Prior Lucas Habemus Tinto I Bairrada I Portugal
   Burgundian style and class from Portugal, all red fruit with a subtle earthy touch