Chicken Piccate is an Italian-American classic flavored with capers and lemon. Traditionally, it’s dredged in flour before being shallow fried in it’s delicious buttery-wine sauce. Since cutting out gluten and most grains over the last several years, I’m constantly working to re-create my classic favorites into updated ‘clean’ versions. My rendition of Chicken Piccata is lighter than what you might find at Spaghetti Factory but certainly not lacking in any flavor! I like to serve this with Spaghetti Squash or Zucchini Noodles, and a giant salad or green beans- yum!
Below: the key ingredients are capers, lemons, butter, garlic
Get that butter and olive oil melting!
See how the sauce simmers away… this is what it looks like after you add in the liquids, right before you turn the chicken.
Happy summer dining!
A NOTE ON HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHICKEN IS DONE: Over cooking chicken is a consistent mistake I make in the kitchen. My father showed me this fool-proof tip for knowing when your chicken is done:
Touch your thumb to pinky-finger. Use your other hand to prod the ‘flesh’ below your thumb. This is what ‘done’ chicken feels like. Poke your ‘thumb flesh’ then poke your cooking chicken. When they feel the same, they are done! Try it, it REALLY works!!
Ingredients
4 skinless chicken breasts (organic if you can)
4 Tbsp grass-fed butter (I like Kerrigold)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced.
1/2 cup Vermouth or other dry white wine
1/3 cup capers
Juice of 2 lemons
Plus 1 thinly sliced lemon
Sea salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Take your chicken breasts and give them a little sprinkle of sea salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat your skillet (a large one that will fit all 4 breasts in it) and get it nice and hot on a high heat - about 2-4 mins depending on your stove. Now, turn it down to a medium-high heat and melt the butter and olive oil in the skillet.
As soon as the butter is mostly melted, get the chicken breasts into that skillet. You don't want the butter to brown at all; the olive oil in there will help stop that from happening, but you still need to get the chicken in there quickly so the browning doesn't happen.
Cook on the first side of 5 minutes, and then add in your Vermouth, garlic, capers, lemon juice and lemon slices. Turn the chicken over and now cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Remember to do that little finger test we talked about ABOVE.
The liquid will have cooked down to a thin syrup-like consistency at this point, and a few of those lemon slices will be slightly browned (I like to make sure they have been swimming in the sauce and touching the bottom of the skillet so that they do get a little browned). Give it a little taste and season with salt and pepper if you like.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and drizzle with that yummy sauce and sprinkle the parsley over the top. So pretty !
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