Chicken Piccata

We recently found ourselves on a bit of a red meat kick.  Steak one night, lamb another.  Hamburgers.  Ribs.  So then I found myself wanting to figure out something lighter, but I didn’t want to make roast chicken or chicken and dumplings.  Or fish.  So, what to do?  The thought popped into my head, what about Chicken Piccata?  So I went looking, and since Piccata seems Italian, I turned to my friend Giada for a recipe.  Giada rarely disappoints, and I found a wonderful recipe, here.

Chicken Piccata
Ingredients

• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups all purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Reduce heat to medium low and add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Result? A delicious dish. The combination of capers and lemon was bright and flavorful. Light enough for a summer day, but still satisfying enough for a cold winter evening as well. I’ll be keeping this recipe.