Easy Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata is the epitome of elegant home cooking. It’s simple and comforting, but also refined in its simplicity. Like so many of my favorite meals, this recipe is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, but also elevated enough for a special occasion. Served over mashed potatoes or a simple garlic pasta this bright and savory chicken dish is next level.

 When developing this recipe, I discovered, by way of America’s Test Kitchen, a new way of creating chicken cutlets that makes a whole lot more sense and creates a more uniform outcome. I also found the whole lemon slices included in many traditional recipes left my sauce with a bitter aftertaste from the lemon’s pith. To avoid this, but maintain the acidic brightness this dish depends on, I added a bit of white wine to the sauce instead of lemon slices.

Serves 4.

·      1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

·      ½ cup all-purpose flour

·      2 teaspoons of salt

·      ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

·      ½ cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed oil

·      4 tablespoons of cold, unsalted-butter, such a Kerrygold

·      2 shallots—finely minced

·      1/3 cup dry white wine

·      2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

·      1 cup chicken stock

·      3 tablespoons capers—drained

·      1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley for serving

1.     Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

2.     Dry chicken breasts and half crosswise to separate the thicker and thinner ends of the breast. Now, halve the thicker portion horizontally to make three similar-size pieces of chicken. Once you’ve created three cutlets with each breast, season them with a teaspoon of salt, arrange them on a clean work surface, and top with wax paper. Pound the cutlets using a mallet or heavy bottom pan until they are about ¼ inch in thickness.

3.     Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Heat the neutral oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture until they are lightly coated on all sides. Shake the cutlets to remove any excess flour and transfer to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until the cutlets are lightly browned and cooked through, about four minutes each side. Transfer cooked cutlets to an oven safe dish and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the chicken.

4.     Once the cutlets have been cooked, drain any excess oil from them pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter has melted, add the minced shallots and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots have softened and become translucent—about two minutes.

5.     Increase the heat to high and add the white wine, whisking to deglaze the pan and scrape up any remaining fond. Whisk until the alcohol has cooked off and the liquid has reduced by half, about two minutes. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.

6.     Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the remaining cold butter until the sauce is glossy and cohesive. Add the capers and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

7.     Remove the chicken cutlets from the oven and top with the lemon-butter sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve warm.