Ever since I studied abroad in Italy, I have loved Italian food even more! I’m not great at steering away from store bought jars of pasta sauce, but I do enjoy learning how to make dishes that are not just the typical pasta that you think of when you think of Italian food.
Lemons are also one of my absolute favorite ingredients so this chicken piccata dish sounded absolutely perfect for a summertime dinner. At first, I won’t lie, I was intimidated by the idea of making this dish. You hear chicken piccata and you just think complicated. Well, have no fear my friends because this dish is actually pretty simple!
Hopefully y’all know me well enough by now to know I wouldn’t present some strangely complicated dish for you to try on your own. I love great food but great food doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. A few simple ingredients (especially your staples in Italian cooking like wine and garlic) and you’re on your way to a fabulous meal.
What I love about the traditional “secondi” meals from Italy is that they are packed with flavor and fill you up, so you don’t always feel the need to use a side of pasta to accompany a meat dish. The dishes are often completed on their own without it!
This dish is light, refreshing and perfect for summertime! After realizing how easy it was to make this classic Italian dish, I’m really anxious to try other non-pasta dishes from Italy. Any suggestions?
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thinly sliced chicken cutlets
- ½ c. flour + 1 heaped teaspoon, divided
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. butter, divided
- ¼ c. shallots, diced
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- ¼ c. white wine
- 1½ c. chicken stock or broth
- 2 lemons
- ¼ c. brined capers, drained (optional-not shown)
- salt + pepper
Instructions
- Add ½ c. flour to a shallow bowl; add the remaining 1 heaped teaspoon to a separate bowl to thicken the sauce.
- Butterfly the chicken by slicing each breast in half horizontally. Place in between 2 sheets of parchment paper (or plastic wrap). Gently pound with a meat mallet to about ½ inch thick. *If using thinly sliced chicken cutlets, skip this step.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken in flour shaking off any excess.
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary.
- Remove the chicken to a plate an cover with foil to keep warm.
- Add the shallots to the pan; if it seems a bit dry, add a splash of olive oil. Saute until soft, but not colored, about 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid by half.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. To thicken the sauce, add a splash of stock to the reserved 1 teaspoon of flour and whisk well to dissolve any lumps. Add the flour mixture to the pan, whisking constantly until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Reduce to a simmer and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the juice of half a lemon and sprinkle in the capers.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan.
- Taste the sauce; season with extra lemon juice, salt and pepper if desired.
- To serve, transfer the chicken to a serving platter and top with the sauce.
- Garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
*original recipe from The Clever Carrot
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