Chicken Piccata
Classic Italian Chicken in a Lemon Butter Sauce
Chicken Piccata is an Italian recipe which consists of lightly breaded chicken covered in a delicious lemon butter sauce. If this sounds good to you then please continue to read on.
This recipe calls for chicken breast that is 1/4 inch thick. Most recipes would have you place the chicken breasts in between two pieces of wax paper and pound the crap out of them to the proper thickness but since this is an easy chicken recipes site we are going to have you carefully cut them horizontally into two thinner pieces. Less work and less mess. 
Traditionally, this recipe uses capers. For those who don't know, capers are the flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a prickly bush which is native to the Mediterranian. The flower buds are picked before they bloom and are then dried in the sun and pickled in vinegar and salt. They have a tart and lemony flavor. You don't have to run out to the store tobuy a jar of Capers if you don't want to especially since they can cost as much as $7.00 a jar.
The Chicken Piccata will taste good without them.
Chicken Piccata Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, keep the lemon halves
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs, seasoned
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- Olive oil
- 1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth
- 1 Sliced lemon, for serving
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley leaves
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
- Pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness or cut them in half horizontally. See this link for Cutting Chicken Breasts. Repeat with other chicken breasts.
- Mix the 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a plate.
- In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water.
- Place the bread crumbs on a second plate.
- This is a three step process: Dredge the chicken breast in the flour first, jiggle off the excess, and dip pieces in the egg and then the bread crumb mixture.
Cooking the Chicken:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. (if they won't all fit in your pan, then cook in two separate batches)
- Place them on a cookie sheet or baking pan sprayed with cooking spray and place in the oven to cook the rest of the way for 5 - 10 minutes.
Making the Sauce:
- While the chicken is in the oven staying warm, in the same pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbls of butter and then add the 1/4 cup of lemon juice, wine, chicken broth, Capers (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Boil over high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the pan, until reduced in half, about 2 minutes.
- Take
off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to combine, then mix in the parsley flakes.
- Place 1 chicken breast on each plate.
- Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon
Serves 4
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