Chicken

Chicken Piccata - My Mother’s Way

Although I have no Italian blood in me, my culinary gene does.  My mother grew up with an Italian step-mom who, along with many classic cookbooks, taught her most of what she knows about cooking. Donna, my step-grandmother, was a quintessential Italian woman:  short, thin, brown hair and huge brown eyes, and a genius with any sort of pasta dish.

Though I only knew her for the first seven or eight years of my life, prior to discovering how much I love to cook, I have a bond with her that can only be passed down through food.  Since I spent most of my adolescent years cooking with my mother every evening, my foundation of knowledge about food is rooted in traditional Italian cuisine.  For that reason, I always feel comforted by anything Italian and it is my instinct to prepare it for guests.  Donna would be proud.

Chicken piccata is a classic Italian dish and, unlike some of the other commonly prepared Italian chicken dishes, this one won’t take you all afternoon.  The simple sauce and beautifully browned chicken never fails to impress those who try it.  Serve it with a little pasta, or prepare a nice green side dish for a comforting and satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

• Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Two Tbsp. of all-purpose flour
• One tsp. of paprika
• Half a tsp. of cayenne pepper (this addition came after my grandmother, and can certainly be omitted for non-spice lovers).
• One tsp. of salt
• Half a tsp. of fresh ground black pepper
• Two to three Tbsp. of capers with a splash of caper juice
• Juice of one lemon
• Optional:  A splash of dry white wine
• One Tbsp. of butter
• Three Tbsp. of olive oil

Begin my mixing all of the dry ingredients, including the flour, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Next, place the chicken breasts in between two layers of wax paper (the butcher paper will work too).  Pound the chicken away from the center until it is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.  Liberally dust the chicken with the flour and spice mixture.

In a large, skillet (preferably not non-stick), heat up the butter and oil over medium high heat.  Place the chicken breast in the pan and don’t touch it for five to six minutes, or until it is a nice golden brown.  Then, flip the chicken breast and brown the other side for an additional four to five minutes.  Remove the chicken breasts and place in a low heat oven (~200 degrees).

Add the juice of one lemon (or a bit more if the lemon is not very juicy) and a splash of dry white wine into the pan with the drippings from the chicken.  Stir to de-glaze and lower the heat.  Cook on low until the lemon juice and wine thicken from the flour left in the pan.  Add the capers.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Serves four.

© 2008 The Fresh Dish.