Last evening I was short on time and hadn’t planned ahead for dinner. In looking through the freezer I saw I had a package of boneless chicken breasts.
When it comes to chicken I prefer using bone in chicken for a recipe or roasting a whole chicken because it results in a more flavorful, moist piece of meat. Boneless and skinless breasts tend to be dry and lack much flavor especially if even the least bit overcooked.
That being said there are some delicious dishes that are quick and simple to prepare with the boneless skinless breast. Chicken Piccata is one such dish.
With few ingredients and one pan those lackluster boneless breasts are transformed into a light, but succulent entree. They are dressed in a bright sauce made up of the pan drippings and lemon juice complemented by the briny capers, fresh parsley and a bit of butter.
Piccata in Italian means “to be pounded." In Chicken Piccata the breast is "butterflied” or sliced along its width, and then flattened with a tenderizer, or simply pounded between sheets of waxed paper until you have an even boneless breast.
The seasoned breasts are then dredged lightly in flour (lightly being key because you do not want a heavy coating), and browned in butter and olive oil.
Because the chicken breasts I had were fairly thin I confess that to save time I omitted the above step and sauteed them as is. They were still very tender because I did not overcook them.
After the chicken is browned, it is returned to the sauce to simmer until just cooked through. Served with pasta this is a great , quick dinner.
Chicken Piccata (adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada DeLaurentiis)
serves 4
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise
½ teaspoon sea salt (or kosher)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging ( I used white whole wheat)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
¼ cup drained capers, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian)
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly.
In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the broth, lemon juice, and capers to the same pan.
Bring the broth mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.
Return the chicken to the pan and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter.
Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the parsley, and serve.