Chicken piccata
Capers and lemon make this chicken piccata recipe a winner,
Servings 4 people
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin cutlets
- Salt as needed
- Pepper as needed
- 1/2 cup flour
- Vegetable or olive oil For pan frying
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1-2 lemons
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 2 tbsp minced parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. This will keep chicken cutlets warm as the sauce is made in the same pan.
- Cut the chicken breasts into cutlets, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Wash the lemons and cut one of them in half. Then, cut both halves into thin half-moon shaped slices. Either juice the other lemon, for a total of 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice, or measure out store bought lemon juice.
- Season the cutlets with salt, pepper and other seasonings as desired.
- Heat a little vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
- In a medium bowl, dredge two to four cutlets through the flour. When the pan is hot, add them to the pan.
- Cook for 2 and 1/2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Do not crowd them in the pan.
- When the first batch of cutlets is done, remove them to a baking dish and put them in the preheated oven.
- Continue dredging and pan frying the cutlets until they have all been cooked, adding oil as required. Remove the cutlets, as they finish, to the pan in the oven.
- Add the garlic to the pan and, 10 seconds later, add the chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of butter. Simmer until the liquid reduces by a half, around 4-5 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon slices, white wine if using and the rinsed capers and continue simmering until the sauce is reduced by half.
- Add the rest of the butter and stir until melted.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and pour any juices into the skillet. Add the parsley to the skillet.
- Taste the sauce and add salt or pepper as required to taste.
- Pour enough sauce over each cutlet and serve by itself or serve over rice or pasta.
Notes
Chicken Picatta recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.