Chicken Piccata

I know there’s been silence over here, but things have been busy! Now that I’m in Dallas, I have plenty of time to think about recipes, try recipes and write recipes down. I thought I’d start with something I’ve come to be known for: chicken piccata.

Chicken Piccata

One of the most requested recipes from my family is my chicken piccata. My dad won’t order it in a restaurant because he likes mine more! And I can’t blame him. It’s delicious. But the secret is – it’s super easy to make. A little elbow grease goes a long way. If you want to impress someone, this is a great way to do it! Chicken piccata looks pretty fancy once you put it on a platter.

This particular recipe serves 4 – 6…depending on the appetites.

4 chicken breasts
1 stick butter
4 – 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup flour
1 – 1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 jar capers
1 bunch parsley
1 – 2 lemons
Salt and Pepper

• Lay chicken breast flat and butterfly.
  Butterfly: slice the breast in half horizontally – making sure to not cut it completely in half. It should open like a book.
  

• Pound breast flat.
  I like to cut the sides of a gallon freezer bag and pound the chicken between for easy clean up. You can use a heavy skillet, but the easiest is the flat side of a meat mallet.
  

• Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.

• Add salt and pepper to flour (to taste). Dredge the chicken, shake off excess flour and set aside.

• In a large skillet, melt ½ stick of butter and 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.
  I usually set it just above medium – not as close to medium high. I’ve also used an electric skillet to keep the heat even.
  

• Pan fry the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides.

• While the chicken is cooking, zest one of the lemons and set aside.

• Drain the capers.

• Chop the parsley until very fine.

• When the last piece of chicken is cooked, add one cup of stock to deglaze the pan. Whisk sauce until it starts to boil.

• Add lemon zest and capers. If sauce reduces too much, add the reserved ½ cup of stock.

• Melt the remaining ½ stick of butter into sauce while whisking.

• When sauce comes together, add ¾ of the parsley and turn off heat.

• Add juice of the zested lemon.
  If the lemon isn’t very juicy, add the juice of two lemons.
  

• Slide the chicken back into the sauce and turn to coat.

• Arrange the chicken on a platter. Pour sauce over the top. Top with reserved ¼ bunch parsley.

That's it! I like to serve this with orzo to catch the sauce, but I've also served it with potatoes on the side and it was equally delicious.