Chicken Piccata

I love Chicken Piccata, but for some reason I have never made it at home. I really don't know why, since it is a relatively simple dish to master. Moreover, it is made with ingredients I generally have on hand and it is a quick-cooking dish. I think I just forgot about it...which is criminal, I know.

I found a basic, classic version on Simply Recipes, however I think I might tweak it a bit so I get a lot of sauce. The best part about Chicken Piccata is the sauce. I dream about it! I think I will serve my chicken on a bead of spaghetti noodles, so the noodles can soak up all the saucy, yummy, goodness. Also, we will need something green...so green beans will most likely be our side dish. I will indicate my changes in my notes below the recipe. This looks so easy and delicious, I can't wait to make this tonight.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound total)
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken stock or dry white wine
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup brined capers
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness.

Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

Jen's Notes:
I don't have chicken breasts, but I do have chicken tenders. By using tenders as a substitute, I can just pass on the whole butterflying/pounding process. They are already pretty thin. Next, I think I will add at least 3 cloves of garlic into the dish right before I add the stock/white wine. My theory is that everything is better with garlic. Since I am after a saucy version, I will probably add both white wine and chicken stock. I will also need to bump up the amount of lemon juice to balance the flavors. I am out of fresh parsley, but I do have some chives. I understand it is a different taste profile, but they will have to work in a pinch. Plus, some fresh herbs are better than no fresh herbs. Again, I will serve this over thin spaghetti noodles. Yum!!!! I am really excited about this dish!!!!



The Result:
Well, I am typing this on my shiny, sleek, beautiful, new laptop. That's right. No more losing emails. No more losing documents...such as RECIPES! No more losing photos. Sigh. I heart my new laptop! I was so excited to play with my new computer, I decided to change my blog background with it. I wanted something more appropriate for spring. Do you like it??? Do you?????? No pressure. Anyway, on to dinner...

This dish was awesome. It earned rave reviews! I served it with a broad, Italian green bean and pappardelle noodles. My son went nuts for the noodles alone. Then, I shaved some Parmesan cheese and sprinkled my chives over the top. Ummmmm....fabulous!!! Usually the husband takes leftovers for lunch the next day, but I begged him to leave this for me (don't worry...there is still one more serving of Beef and Lentil Soup for him to take). To show my appreciation for him being such a good sport, I packed his lunch for him and included a couple surprise goodies. That should ease the suffering of having the same soup two days in a row so I can have this Chicken Piccata. Overall, this is a total keeper. We loved every bite of it!!!