Chicken Piccata! (Also, Jill’s first post!)

Chicken piccata is such a crowd pleaser! Adrian asks for it all the time, and they’re not the only one. When I offer to make dinner for friends or family, this one is often asked for by name. Its a very simple dish, though I might add, it’s a little pot/pan intensive. Lucky for me, Adrian is a fab sous chef and and really great at cleaning up after my whirlwind of a mess.

The sauce is simple and essential : garlic, wine, lemon. Poured over thinly sliced breaded chicken breasts nesting on bed of soft delicious pasta (homemade of course, duh), impossible to dissapoint.

We’re going to do this Ramsay style, keep up kids.

Garlic, olive oil:

Chicken broth, wine:

Simmer, reduce, cue smell-o-vision:

Lemon juice, simmer for another 5-10:

Coat chicken in flour, dip it in egg, toss it in bread crumbs.

Fry lightly in olive oil (they are thin, don’t go crazy):

Paper towels, warm oven (200-225):

Tell Adrian to make heavenly fluffy pasta:

Chicken on top of pasta, sauce on top of it all. Garnish with a lemon slice and parsley. Serve with something green:

A few notes:

• Use your own chicken broth if you’ve got it. I try to always have some in my freezer (ala mom), but lets all be honest, I’ve been slacking. You’d be surprised how much more nuanced and bright the sauce will be with a homemade chicken broth. Store bought ones can tend to be very salty and rich. A lighter broth is certainly a compliment to this sauce.
• Honestly, when it comes to cooking wine, I buy whatever is the cheapest that I will still drink. This Rex Goliath ($4.99) is affordable and delicious!
• After reducing the sauce add your lemon juice. Make sure to strain out those pesky seeds! I use a cheesecloth over my measuring cup. Also, you may have noticed one glaring omission in my piccata recipe. I think capers are gross. Put them in with the lemon juice if you must. (I use a little bit of the juice from the jar but keep the slimy little balls out of my meal.)
• Use seasoned bread crumbs. I buy plain ones but season liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and basil.
• Did I mention to LIGHTLY fry your chickens? Do it. Especially if you’re going to be keeping them warm in the oven. They should be more golden than brown.

So go buy yourself a good bottle of chard, not for cooking, and savor this meal. It is aromatic, texturally diverse, and freaking tasty.

Enjoy!

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