When I first received The Little Paris Kitchen in the mail, I spent a good hour just sitting on the couch and flipping through the pages. All those photos of bistros, Parisian markets, dinner parties on adorable little balconies...it all sounds so cliché, but I thisclose to booking a plane ticket to Paris. (That's the power of photography!)

And then there are the recipes: very simple, nonfussy French comfort food, pretty much food I crave everyday.

Over the weekend I made the lemon and lavender chicken, a nice twist on the simple roast chicken. What could be more spring-like than lavender? If I can't jet off to Paris and drive down to the lavender fields of Provence, at the very least I can roast some chicken.

Instead of cutting up a whole chicken, I just used 3 pounds of chicken thighs and drumsticks. The marinating was a snap, as was the roasting. And the bright citrus and honey flavors combined with a mild bit of lavender was perfect for a lazy weekend meal.

(If you haven't done so already, check out author Rachel Khoo's cooking show. Anyone who can make fabulous meals out of that tiny of a kitchen, with that little counter space, deserves some major props.)

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Lemon and Lavender Chicken

Serves 4

3 pound chicken thighs or drumsticks
2 tablespoons dried lavender
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons honey
2 springs thyme
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
A generous pinch of salt

Marinate the chicken: Crush the lavender with a mortar and pestle. In a large bowl, combined the crushed lavender with the oil, honey, thyme, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well. Place the chicken in a large, deep container. Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure all the pieces are well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour (or up to 4 hours.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the chicken and marinade in a large roasting pan and sprinkle with salt. Roast the chicken for 40 to 45 minutes, turning the pieces over halfway. To check if the chicken is done, pierce the thickest part of a thigh or drumstick with a skewer; the juices will run clear instead of pink or red when done.
Transfer the chicken to a large serving dish, pour the cooking juices over, and serve.

Adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen.