Chicken Piccata
Like most of my generation not lucky enough to be born into an Italian-American family, my introduction to Italian food, I am not ashamed to say, happened at the Olive Garden. It was the swankiest restaurant I remember eating at in the mid-90s. At the time, I had no idea it was a chain. I had no idea what a chain was. The closest Olive Garden was in Memphis, over an hour away from the small town in Mississippi where I grew up. We traveled to Memphis for school clothes shopping, so going to a mall and then having a “fancy” dinner at the Olive Garden was a real treat. And honestly, who doesn’t love the salad and bread sticks?
Thankfully, my tastes have – shall we say – matured over the years, as I have since been introduced to Italian food outside The Olive Garden. I can’t even tell you the last time I set foot in the restaurant who’s name confuses me.
Where are the olives? Is there a garden?
Why, then, am I reminiscing about the Olive Garden? Well, because I can’t remember the first time I had chicken piccata. I don’t think it was at an Olive Garden. But that’s no matter because this Italian-American dish may just be as traditionally Italian as the Olive Garden.
Whether you can trace the roots of chicken piccata back to Italy or not, what’s not to love about the ingredients? Chicken (of course), BUTTER, capers, lemons…
Here’s my version…
Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 4 thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 large boneless, skinless breasts, sliced in half to make thin chicken cutlets
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- juice of two lemons
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
Instructions
- Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Add flour to a shallow bowl or small plate.
- Dredge the cutlets in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat canola oil and two tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat.
- Working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the skillet, cook cutlets, without moving them, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. You may need to add another tablespoon of canola oil if the pan is dry between batches.
- Flip cutlets and cook for another 3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate.
- Add garlic and then wine, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until liquid is reduced, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add chicken stock and cook, stirring until liquid is again reduced and then add lemon juice, capers and butter.
- Remove from heat and continue stirring until butter emulsifies and sauce thickens.
- Spoon 1/4 of the sauce over each chicken cutlet.
Notes