Lemony Chicken Piccata
Chicken piccata isn’t normally a dish you think of as a family dinner favorite. When you consider that it’s really just pan fried chicken coated in a lemon butter sauce studded with briny capers and served over a pile of pasta, it makes a bit more sense. This is a dish that can truly be thrown together so quickly with mostly pantry staples and never fails to delight. If you think the capers will weird out any particular eaters at the table leave them out of the sauce and add a sprinkle over top of the caper lovers plates.
Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
juice from 2 lemons
1 tablespoon capers
a bit of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Directions:
First things first, you have to slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. You are creating very thin cutlets so you’ll need a nice sharp knife. I like to place the breast on a cutting board and press it gently with my palm flat on it. Then I take the knife and carefully slice through the middle of the breast. Just watch those fingers! Set them aside and season them generously with salt and pepper while you heat a saute pan over medium heat.
When your pan is hot, add the olive oil and place the chicken breasts in. Let them cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and golden brown on the outside.
Set them aside to rest, lower the heat to low, and add the garlic to the pan. Cook it for a minute or so in the leftover oil. There will be lots of bits stuck to the pan which is all flavor we want to use! Add the chicken stock to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape those sticky bits up and stir into the sauce. You are making a pan sauce! Once the bottom of the pan is cleaned up, add the butter, lemon juice, and capers. Stir them through and let them warm, press gently on the capers to let them release their juices into the pan sauce. Add the chicken back to the pan and sprinkle the parsley over top. Dinner is served!
p.s. don’t forget the pasta recipe below!
