Ally
Happy Halloween! This weekend my sister came over to decorate pumpkins and I made easy lemon chicken piccata. We watched “Halloweentown” because we’re 10 years old. Also, we pretended to be artistic:
Yeah I know, my “Y” is a little wonky.
ANYWAYS…
Chicken piccata seriously makes me happy. Actually, most Italian food does, but I’m a sucker for the sour lemon, briney capers, and garlicky wine sauce of chicken piccata. I’m also a hardcore believer that this should be eaten oven a big bed of creamy mashed potatoes. I also threw a vegetable or two on that plate for good measure.
Since today is Halloween, I’m dressed up as a black cat at work. My first cat was black, her name was Sandra, and I’ve been a budding “crazy cat lady” ever since. And, in true Halloween spirit tonight, I have a pork roast with apples, sweet potatoes, and onions going in my slow cooker for me later, AND a big batch of spiked hot apple cider. Those recipes are coming soon!
Back to chicken piccata. It’s one of those easy peasy skillet recipes that can be done and on the table in under 30 minutes. The key is thin pieces of chicken that will cook quickly and evenly. Once they cook, it’s as simple as a garlic, lemon, and wine sauce that comes together in 5 minutes. You’ll definitely want some kind of carby goodness to soak up all that sauce underneath!
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally or pounded thin
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ cup all purpose flour, plus 2 more tablespoons
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup dry white wine, like pinot grigio
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- Fresh parsley
- In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup flour, the zest of one lemon, salt and pepper.
- Take dry chicken breasts and dredge them in the flour mixture, coating completely and shaking off the excess.
- In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add the chicken (in batches if you need to, don't overcrowd the pan!) Cook the chicken 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and let drain on paper towels.
- Melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan with the chicken drippings, whisking to scrape up the brown bits.
- Once the butter is melted, add 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk constantly for 2 more minutes until thick, bubbly, and golden.
- Add the wine to the pan, continuing to whisk to create a smooth sauce.
- Add the garlic, the juice of one lemon, the capers, and another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until bubbling.
- Put the chicken back in the pan for a couple more minutes to heat through. Top with fresh parsley, and serve over mashed potatoes.
