When you rub your hands over little branches of lemon thyme, a refreshing lemony, lemongrassy, and earthy thyme fragrance floats into the air.

This was one of the most successful herbs I planted in our garden and we enjoyed its flavor in various savory dishes over the summer. Now its light perfume fills the air as it hangs drying from hooks in our kitchen.

Lemon thyme is a compact, upright shrub that grows to a height of 12 inches. The leaves are tiny and heart shaped, ringed with a splash of yellow. As the name implies, lemon thyme has a bit of a citrus tang, but is milder than most other thyme. This makes it a natural choice for seasoning seafood dishes and even sweets. The citrus flavor also helps to lighten fatty dishes. The natural, volatile oils also work as a digestive aid. These same pungent oils make lemon thyme a favorite in aroma therapy for the treatment of asthma. - Sally's Place

Weekend Herb Blogging, the creation of Kalyn at Kalyn's Kitchen, is being hosted by Valentina at Trembom this week. Valentina will share the entire WHB round-up next Monday with us.

Both grilled fish dishes and creamy potato gratins are perfect blank canvases for lemon thyme. This wonderful, aromatic herb is also amazing with chicken.
This recipe requires a substantial amount of lemon thyme, but once you taste the rich, herb flecked sauce poured over the golden brown chicken, you'll see that it is just the right amount.


Chicken with Lemon Thyme
from The French Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken (3½-4 pounds; 1¾-2 kilos), cut into 8 pieces (2 breast pieces, 2 wings with portion of breast attached, 2 legs, 2 thighs), with giblets reserved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled, cut in half, and green germ removed
1 large handful fresh lemon thyme prigs plus 1/3 cup (loosely packed) fresh lemon thyme leaves
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the chicken, season it with salt and pepper, and brown it on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. The chicken should be deep golden.
2. Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions turn deep gold on the edges, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, and return the chicken to the skillet. Add the lemon thyme sprigs and the lemon juice, and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the giblets, cover and cook until the chicken is nearly tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir 2 tablespoons of the lemon thyme leaves into the chicken, cover, and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked though. about 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat. Remove the lemon thyme sprigs, stir in the remaining lemon thyme leaves, and taste for seasoning. Let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes before serving.
4. Transfer the chicken pieces, all of the onion and garlic, and any of the cooking juices to a warmed platter, or simply divide them among four plates. Serve immediately.
4 servings