Chicken Piccata

I love to explore food across the globe and I try to serve new food we like to my family as often as possible. I learned to make Chicken Piccata, an Italian favorite dish many years back that can be ready in 30 minutes for busy weekdays because everything is on hand.

Piccata means in Italian language "to be pounded flat". Traditionally it is made with seasoned veal dredged in flour, pan seared and bathed in a lemony, buttery, winey and capers sauce, served over pasta. But it is very adaptable to chicken and quite popular in Italian American restaurants. 

Original Piccata recipe that I tried for the first time was too sharp lemony taste. So I leave out the lemon juice in the sauce. I use lemon slices for the fresh lemony flavor in the simmering sauce that is tangy enough for our taste buds. For the gluten free version use tapioca starch or corn starch and serve over seasoned rice pasta or seasoned rice. Use more butter for richer taste. 

Ingredients~

(US customary units)

2 large chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3-4 tbsp olive oil 

Sauce~

1 -2 tbsp butter

1 tsp minced garlic

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1/8 tsp salt or as per taste

1 tbsp capers

1 tsp lemon zest 

1 tbsp caper brine

3-4 slices of lemon, cut in half

1/8 tsp paprika (optional) 

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 freshly ground black pepper 

Fresh parsley for garnish if you have on hand

Method~

Cut the each chicken breast in pieces. Wrap in a plastic bag or wrap and pound with a meat mallet to flatten each pieces. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice on both sides and set aside for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a cast-iron or heavy bottomed steel pan on medium high heat. Lightly dredge chicken in the flour and shake off excess flour. Sear chicken fillets for 1 1/2 minutes each side just until light brown. Try not to cook through. Remove from the pan and add in minced garlic and capers sauteing for a minute. Pour white wine to de glaze the pan stirring well and allow the wine to reduce by half for about 3-4 minutes, the add in chicken broth, caper brine, salt, paper, paprika, lemon zest and lemon slices and simmer for 2-3 minutes. At last add in seared chicken into the pan and simmer just until cooked through. Taste and adjust sourness using lemon juice as per taste. Serve over seasoned spaghetti, linguine, angel hair pasta or choice of any type of pasta. Sprinkle with dried parsley. Spoon sauce over the chicken.

Happy Cooking!