Chicken Piccata

This is one of those classic chicken recipes that seems to have fallen out of favor.  It is rarely ever seen on the menus of restaurants.  I have no idea why because, according to my family, it is one of the best ways to prepare chicken.  Using the lowly boneless, skinless chicken breast paired with a silky, rich, yet light lemony sauce to accompany it... there's nothing better.  Served with a side of pasta, rice or boiled baby reds or smashed potatoes, this dish really delivers a "wow" factor. 

This recipe was inspired by the great folks over at America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Illustrated, however, I've changed up a couple of the details.  ATK/Cooks calls for chicken that is cut into medallions and they are not coated with anything, but salt and pepper before browning.  We prefer a bit of a crunch, but I didn't want to coat it with a batter.  Instead, I chose Panko Bread Crumbs and simply gave the chicken a quick dredge before frying.  It makes a nice difference.

Secondly, the Cooks Illustrated version calls for ordinary chicken stock.  I used to use this all the time as well until I discovered the organic, concentrated stock from Williams Sonoma.  It is absolutely wonderful.  I use it to make chicken stock and I've also used it to make gravy.  There is a beef and turkey version too.  A little spendy, but in my opinion, when you really want that chicken flavor, it is far superior to stock.  You can make your own concentrate by reducing your chicken stock down to a miniscule amount.  I make tons of stock in my Pressure cooker and will reduce it down a great deal in order to draw out more flavor.  However, the Williams-Sonoma stuff is really handy.  Just measure a Tablespoon into a measuring cup, mix with a cup of water and you're done.  It's that easy!

Finally, this recipe calls for quite a bit of lemon slices and lemon juice.  If you can find Meyer Lemons, use them.  They are milder than regular lemons and add a lovely, delicate balance.  Otherwise, a regular, ripe lemon does just fine.

Chicken Piccata
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Salt & pepper
4 TBS vegetable oil
7 TBS unsalted butter, divided
2 large, ripe lemons
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
2 TBS Capers, drained
2 TBS Fresh Parsley, plus a bit more for serving

Heat oven to 170 degrees. 

Juice one whole lemon, reserve.  Cut the second lemon from pole to pole and cut off the end pieces.  Slice lemon half into very slim slices.  Use the other cut half for additional juice to make 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice.

Butterfly each chicken breast and cut each piece in half.  Pound chicken to about 1/4 inch thick.  Salt and pepper both sides lightly. 

In a large skillet, add 2 TBS oil and 2 TBS butter.  Heat to medium high.  Dredge chicken pieces in Panko bread crumbs, pressing down so they adhere well.  Fry half the chicken pieces until browned, about 2 minutes.  Flip chicken pieces and brown on the other side for an additional few minutes until they are cooked through.  Add the remaining 2 TBS oil and 2 TBS butter for the second batch of chicken and repeat.  Plate the pieces as they cook and keep in a warm oven set at 170 degrees.

When the chicken has finished cooking, add the shallots to the skillet.  If more butter is needed to sautee the shallots, feel free to add a bit.  Stir quickly for about a minute until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and lemon slices.  Bring liquid to a simmer and continue simmering until the broth reduces to about 1 1/2 cups - around 10 minutes.  Add the capers and parsley to the stock, then add 3 TBS of the remaining butter and swirl off the heat until the butter is melted.  Plate the chicken over pasta, rice or other and ladle the sauce on top.