Serves 4
This is a quick and easy, yet elegant entrée featuring crispy chicken cutlets in a simple pan sauce.
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless Smart Chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup flour (for dredging)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
With the chicken breast laying flat on the cutting board, make a horizontal slice through it creating 2 thin cutlets. Once all the breasts are cut, lay them out between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and lightly pound with a meat tenderizer. (Not much force is needed here, but a little pounding will help the cutlets cook faster and more evenly.)
Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides then dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess that does not stick to the chicken.
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. More oil may be needed depending on the size of the pan (the oil should lightly coat the entire pan). Once the oil is lightly smoking, carefully add your chicken cutlets making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook the chicken for roughly 3 to 4 minutes before flipping, then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. The chicken should have a nice golden-brown crust. Remove your chicken to a rack and keep warm. Repeat until all the cutlets are browned.
In the same pan, over medium-high heat, add the last of the olive oil and sauté the shallots and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the capers, lemon juice, and white wine, making sure to scrape up any of the nice, flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Drop the heat as low as it goes, whisk in the butter and add the parsley. Remove the sauce from heat.
Return the chicken to the pan, coating with the piccata sauce and serve with your favorite side dish.
Recipe created by Adam Pechal, Chef, Tuli Bistro, Sacramento, California