Chicken Piccata
by Bob and Melinda Blanchard
from Cook What You Love
(Clarkson Potter, 2005)
Serves 4

This dish is traditionally made with veal, but in real life, who really serves veal very often at home? We certainly don't. We make this variation all the time, and truthfully, the buttery lemon sauce and zing of the capers is just as delicious with chicken.

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1. Cover the chicken breasts with a piece of plastic wrap and, using a meat pounder, flatten each breast to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off any excess.

2. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the chicken and cook until golden brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the chicken and brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. When done, remove the chicken from the pan, sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper, and set aside.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and capers, scraping up any brown bits and pieces left from the chicken. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

4. Return the chicken to the pan, turn the heat to medium, and heat for 1 minute. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

 

[Yael Sebok] This one is a definite keeper. Eeasy to make, and the result is delicious. One comment though: if you're watching your cholesterol, this is not the dish for you.

[Donna Rose] Mmmmmmm. This was absolutely fabulous. I don't remember ever cooking this, although I have seen recipes for it over the years. All conversation stopped at the dinner table. I'd serve it to anyone at any time, on any occasion.

[TeAntae Turner] This is an easy dish to fix on a busy week night, especially since most ingredients can be found in a well stocked pantry. I served this with roasted carrots and a salad. Next time I make this I'll double the sauce recipe so I can drizzle it over rice. Definitely a keeper.

[John Murphy] Simplicity and quiet elegance describe this traditional treatment of all those "white meats." This easy-to-accomplish recipe is equally enjoyable using pork and turkey cutlets. Perfect for entertaining when time is short or for a special work-night meal at home, the ingredients are readily available and not a budget breaker. A keeper worthy of repeating.

[Jill Borofka] Very fast and elegant recipe! Flattening the chicken made it very tender and the piccata sauce is an excellent pairing with chicken.

[Dan Kraan] This recipe is full of flavour and is so easy to make! If you don't have time to create a fancy dish, this is one that looks and tastes like you did.