Italian | Chicken Piccata

Posted on September 9, 2011

Always a favorite. You can vary this to some degree and still get great results. I change it up depending on my mood. Basically you want to cook your chicken, deglaze the pan, and make the sauce. I have included the variations that I do. In the photo below, I used a butterflied boneless skinless chicken breasts and did more of a crust. It's up to your tastes. Note the recipe that I adapted this from used 1/2 cup butter, I reduced it down to 2 tablespoons.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied or use cutlets

flour for dredging

kosher sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 egg whites, beaten lightly (optional)

olive oil or clarified butter (ghee), for cooking

dry white wine (optional)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

Method

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. For a thicker crust, dip in egg whites, then flour. For a lighter crust, just dip in flour. Pat off excess.

Heat a large skillet (not non-stick), add oil or clarified butter, and saute the chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side, less for cutlets. Remove to a warmed platter.

Remove excess oil or clarified butter from the pan. Deglaze pan with a little wine, if using. Cook down a bit.

Add the garlic, zest, stock, and lemon juice to the skillet, scraping up any brown bits that are in the bottom of the pan, and simmer until reduced slightly. I just look for it to thicken a bit. Add the parsley and capers, season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

 

(Adapted from Home Chef's "Turkey Piccata" recipe, "Mediterranean Meals" class.)