June 13, 2026

3-Ingredient Lemon Posset

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3-Ingredient Lemon Posset

June: National Lemon Month
June 13, 2026: Trooping the Colours

Sometimes the simplest recipe is fit enough for a king. Lemon posset, a type of creamy citrusy pudding, is one of King Charles III’s favorite desserts—so much so that he requests it often to be served even at fancy gatherings.

Italian Chef Enrico Derflingher, the youngest chef at age 26 to have served the British Royal Family (1987-1990), tried to make the best of a situation when a trip to the Shetland Islands was extended due to weather. Kitchen staff were low on supplies and ingredients, and he decided to use the lemons at his disposal and make a traditional English dessert. When life handed him lemons, he made lemonade lemon posset. 

We were inspired to make this dessert in honor/honour of KC3’s birthday celebration; although he was born on November 14, 1948, the reigning British monarch’s birthday is observed in June during the Trooping the Colours event. 

There are only three ingredients in this recipe featuring this month’s fruit: lemons. The acidity of the fruit juice helps to curdle and thicken the cream sweetened with sugar. We topped the posset with reddish raspberries and blueberries to match the colors of the Union Jack. The posset could be served inside emptied lemon halves for a cute presentation or in finest dessert dishes (we used our everyday ramekins). Make lemon posset and dine like royalty during National Lemon Month or while watching the Trooping the Colours on TV.  Cheers and God save the King!

Recipe

(Adapted from Tallahassee Democrat)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup sugar, granulated white
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional, see Notes)
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh from 2-3 lemons

Directions

If planning to serve the pudding in lemons, wash and dry the fruit, slice them in half, then hollow them out by scraping the insides out with a spoon. Set aside (we used muffin tins/cupcake pans to hold our lemon halves in place). Squeeze the juice from the innards to equal 1/3 cup. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream with sugar. 

Boil over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar, making sure the cream does not burn in the bottom of the pan. Cook around 5-7 minutes until the cream is somewhat reduced. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let it sit untouched for 15-20 minutes until slightly cooled. Stir to remove the top skin layer. Spoon into the lemon halves or dessert dishes. Refrigerate to set, around 3-4 hours. Garnish with berries and mint (optional) before serving cold. 

Notes

  • Use an extra lemon to add zest to the cream close to the end of boiling. Or use the zest as a garnish. We forgot to add the zest but that is okay since recipe reviews state that it can make the pudding sourer if it sits for more than a day.
  • If using lemon halves, serve the pudding on the same day to avoid making the pudding go sour. This recipe can fill anywhere from 8-10 lemon halves, depending on the size of the fruit. We used both lemon halves and ramekins to serve our lemon posset.
  • Chef Darren McGrady, another royal chef, used to make lemon posset for the British Royal Family, too. Read about his experiences and a little history about this classic English dessert on Hello! magazine.  
  • Search for other lemon and royally-inspired recipes on our blog.

 

June 1, 2023

Kotopoulo Skorthato 

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Kotopoulo Skorthato 

(Greek Lemon Garlic Chicken)

June: National Lemon Month

Toward the last year of our university studies, we befriended a new student from Crete. Christos H. was in the same education department as Islander and also went to our church. We would often go over to his rental house for Sunday dinners when our dorm cafeteria was closed. Fortunately, we got to partake in his homecooked Cretan and Greek meals, which often included the quick and affordable kotopoulo skorthato—chicken pieces baked in a lemony marinade with garlic, herbs and spices. Because Highlander had a lemon of a car, he was able to drive Christos to the grocery store to get the ingredients. Islander helped him in his kitchen and learned how easy it was to make this dish. More than three decades later, she still cooks this chicken on busy weeknights because it is simple to prepare and is tasty over rice or pasta. It’s a winner winner chicken dinner made with love and lemons! For National Lemon Month, cook up kotopoulo skorthato. 

Recipe

(Inspired by Christos C.)

Ingredients

  • 1-2 pounds chicken thighs and legs, bone-in with skin
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper, crushed
  • 2 lemons, divided use

Directions

In a large bowl, stir the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the oregano, thyme and red pepper. 

Zest and juice one of the lemons and add to the olive oil mixture. Toss the chicken in the bowl and coat it in all the seasonings. Layer the chicken pieces in a baking pan. Cut the second lemon into 8 wedges and place them in between the chicken. Pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a platter and spoon the pan juices over the chicken. Garnish with lemon wedges. Serve hot with rice or pasta.

Notes

  • This lemon chicken recipe is Greek, made with olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. For the Chinese/local Hawaiian lemon chicken recipe, made of deep-fried pieces and a thick and tangy sweet lemon sauce, please click here.
  • Search our blog for other sweet or savory lemon recipes.
 

June 1, 2013

Lemon Chicken

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Lemon Chicken

Lemon Chicken

June: National Lemon Month

Many cultures have their own version of boneless meat, which is coated in seasoned flour/breadcrumbs/batter, then fried or baked, and accompanied with gravy or sauce. Lemon chicken from L&L Drive-Inn, a popular chain restaurant in Hawaii and in select spots around the world, is one of Islander and her brother’s favorite deep fried chicken dishes with a tangy sweet lemon sauce.

During our undergraduate years in Hawaii, we would walk down our hilly campus to the L&L restaurant and treat ourselves to a cheap lunch or dinner when we did not want to eat cafeteria food or cook in our dorm kitchen. When we first ordered the lemon chicken, it looked like a giant, sliced chicken nugget with a sunny yellow dipping sauce on the side. As simple as the entrée was, we just loved the lemon sauce! It really is what makes the chicken a delicious dish.

For National Lemon Month, make lemon chicken for a local-style plate lunch.

Recipe

(Adapted from L&L Drive-Inn via the Star-Bulletin Archives)

For the chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken (we used thinly sliced chicken breast meat)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon (we crushed a bouillon cube)
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Pound the chicken meat to ¼-inch thickness or cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside and make the marinade. In a large glass bowl, mix together the water and vegetable oil. Blend in the cornstarch and flour. Stir in the egg. Season with salt, bouillon, white pepper and garlic powder.

Lemon Chicken

Mix to make a smooth batter. Coat the chicken in the marinade and leave for at least two hours. Deep fry the chicken in 350-degree oil until golden brown (5 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Lemon Chicken

For the lemon sauce

  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup white vinegar (we used cane sugar vinegar)
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • small piece of ginger, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • ½ teaspoon of yellow food coloring
  • slices of lemon

Directions

In a measuring cup, make a slurry by dissolving the cornstarch in lemon juice. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine the water, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil.

Lemon Chicken

Add the ginger, lemon extract and a few slices of lemon. Tint with yellow food coloring. Slowly stir in the cornstarch-lemon juice mixture until thickened and smooth. Discard the ginger. Serve the sauce on the side with the lemon chicken.

Lemon Chicken

Notes

  • The lemon sauce may be made ahead of time and re-heated. Garnish with fresh lemon slices.
  • This lemon chicken is a Chinese-influenced recipe. There are other lemon chicken recipes inspired by international ingredients.
  • Serve L&L Drive-Inn lemon chicken with scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Onolicious!
  • For another fruit-flavored sauce with chicken, try the recipe for honey orange glazed chicken listed in our September archives (National Chicken Month).
  • Love lemons? Search our blog for more lemon recipes.