Lemon and honey chicken with roasted asparagus

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the chicken and asparagus

   Preheat a conventional oven to 210°C, without fan. Wash the asparagus, trim woody bases and weigh 600 g after trimming; dry well. On a separate board prepare 4 chicken breast pieces totalling 800 g, about 200 g each, with an even thickness of 1.5–2 cm; butterfly thicker pieces if needed. Do not wash raw chicken. Keep raw and cooked utensils separate. Reserve 3 g salt and 0.25 g pepper for chicken, and 1 g salt and 0.25 g pepper for asparagus.

   
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   Clean asparagus on one board and four raw chicken breasts on another separate board

2. 2

   Mix the sauce in a clean bowl

   Combine 40 g lemon juice,40 g honey,10 g chopped garlic and 60 ml drinking water. Stir until the honey dissolves. Keep this sauce in a clean bowl and prevent contact with raw chicken; it is not a marinade and juices from the raw-chicken plate are not reused.

   
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   Lemon, honey and garlic sauce being mixed in a bowl without contact with raw chicken

3. 3

   Roast the asparagus separately

   Spread asparagus in a single layer on a tray with 10 g of the oil,1 g salt and 0.25 g pepper. Roast at 210°C for about 12–18 minutes, turning after 8 minutes, until tender with some bite and lightly browned tips. Thickness changes the timing. Do this while cooking chicken; if finished first, keep briefly covered while finishing the sauce. Do not put raw chicken on this tray.

   
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   Roasted green asparagus in a single layer on a tray without chicken

4. 4

   Brown the four chicken pieces

   Heat the remaining 20 g oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with the reserved 3 g salt and 0.25 g pepper. Place the 4 pieces without crowding and brown for about 4 minutes per side, approximately 8 minutes total. Adjust heat to brown without burning. Do not add honey or sauce yet, and do not assume the centre is cooked.

   
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   Four chicken breasts browning in a wide skillet without sauce or asparagus

5. 5

   Finish with sauce and check temperature

   Lower the heat, add all the clean sauce from step 2 and simmer gently for about 6–8 minutes, turning chicken to coat. If it thickens too early, lower heat further and cover briefly; do not let sugar darken or burn. Check each piece with a clean probe in the thickest centre, without touching the skillet: it must reach at least 74°C. If lower, continue cooking gently and measure again. Sauce should be fluid and lightly glossy, not thick caramel.

   
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   Cooked chicken breasts coated with light lemon and honey sauce in a skillet

6. 6

   Rest, serve and store safely

   Transfer chicken to a clean dish and rest 5 minutes. Divide into 4 servings and distribute asparagus and all the sauce; use clean utensils. For storage, put leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate at 4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour if ambient temperature exceeds 32°C. Eat within 3 days and reheat each portion only once to 74°C at its centre. Do not put cooked chicken on the plate that held it raw.

   
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   One chicken breast with lemon and honey sauce beside roasted asparagus on a plate

The step photos are illustrative.