LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ZUCCHINI NOODLES RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN: Divide the goat cheese into 6 equal portions. Using your fingers, loosen the skin from one side of the chicken thigh to form a pocket for the goat cheese. Try to keep the skin connected to the thigh on the other sides as much as possible, but don't fret about it if it comes loose. Place a portion of goat cheese under the skin of each thigh, then press down gently on top of the skin to distribute the goat cheese over the thigh. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Over medium heat on stovetop, heat olive oil in the tagine (or a Dutch oven). Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place the chicken thighs skin-side-up over the sauce in the tagine. Brush the thighs with the sauce. Tuck the lemon wedges in the tagine among the chicken pieces. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the chicken thighs are tender and cooked through; occasionally brush the thighs with more sauce. Spoon off the excess fat and oil from the tagine and reserve for cooking vegetables. (If making zucchini noodles, just toss a couple tablespoons of the fat with the zucchini and saute until tender, but not falling apart.) Start the broiler and place the bottom part of the tagine with the chicken a few inches below the flames or broiler element. Broil until the tops of the thighs are crispy and well-browned. Allow the chicken to rest a few minutes so you don't burn yourself. Serve hot with pan juices...Enjoy! ZUCCHINI NOODLES: I skimmed off the excess fat from the cooked chicken and used it to quickly saute the zucchini. The fat from the chicken was already infused with garlic, lemon, and herbs, so no additional seasoning was necessary except a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The texture of the noodles was just like spaghetti - you could even twirl it on your fork.