Easy Chicken Picatta

I love making this dish because it is so easy and has a tangy zest. This recipe is a little different than most because I cut the chicken into bitesize pieces. The smaller pieces have more of the lemon sauce and every bite burst with flavor.

This recipe is for four, but it’s easy to scale up or down. Like with any recipe, easy or complicated, it’s always better if you measure, prep and stage all your ingredients before you start to cook.

One of my fondest memories around this dish is tied to an annual high school reunion I attend almost every year in October. Missed the one in 2020 and probably will in 2021 because of COVID, but I can enjoy the meal and think of the people I’m missing. Yes, I did say annual. It’s a reunion that’s been going on for more than a decade and includes all the classes of the 1960’s from two rival high schools in Charlotte, NC. Harding High (Go Rams) and West Mecklenburg High. Around 350 people show up for the long weekend every year. One year, I made this dish for six of us sharing a condo we rented for the weekend. I think we finished 6 bottles of wine that night! Sharing stories about the year since we last saw each other and catching up on the good and the bad. It seemed to get easier as each bottle of wine emptied. As I sat there watching everyone talking, laughing, it dawned on me that I had known these people most of my life, since the age of 6 or 7. I never would have imagined back then I would be making a meal for all of us more than 60 years later. It was hard to hold back the tears as I thought of how very fortunate I was, we all were, to still have each other.

Prep time: 20 minutes. – Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 – boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C – chicken stock

1/3 C – lemon juice

½ C – capers, drained

½ C – white wine (nothing sweet)

¼ C – grated Parmesan cheese

½ C – all-purpose flour

¼ C – olive oil

3 T – butter

Garlic salt pepper mix

Angel Hair pasta (Substitute whatever pasta you like, but remember this is a delicate sauce and thicker, heavier pastas will dilute the flavor of the pan sauce and chicken.)

Making The Magic

Butterfly the chicken breasts, cutting them all the way through. You should end up with 4 halves. Take each half, one at a time, lay them on a cutting board and cover them with piece of cling film (plastic wrap). Use a small plate and use the edge of the plate to lightly pound the chicken breast on one side, flip it and do the second side. Not too hard. You don’t want to pound all the way through the chicken, and you don’t want to break the plate! This process breaks down the connective tissue and creates crannies for the seasoning and the sauce.

Slowly preheat a large pan, nonstick or stainless is best, with the olive oil and butter. While the butter is melting do the following step. Don’t overheat the butter. You don’t want it to brown. Once the butter melts, swirl the pan to let the oil and butter mix. 

Once the halves are tenderized, season them with garlic salt pepper mix. Slice at an angle, into bite-size pieces, and put them into a container to toss with the flower. Add the flour and coat the chicken. Drop the coated pieces into your preheated pan with the olive oil and butter.

Cook the chicken until lightly browned. Turn each piece and brown on the second side. You may need to add more olive oil.

When the chicken is browned, remove it from the oil and set aside. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape the brown bits left in the pan until all the leavings are mixed into the stock. Add the capers and stir in. Add the lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Add the white wine and stir in. Let the sauce simmer and return the chicken to the pan. Be sure each piece is covered with the sauce in the pan. Cook down until the sauce starts to thicken.

While the chicken simmers, cook your pasta. Angel hair cooks in 4 minutes. Some pastas take as much a 18 minutes, so time it accordingly. Hint: Don’t use too much water. Most folks think more water in huge pots is better. When your pasta is cooked, drain and plate the pasta.

Spoon the chicken and piccata sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle Parmesan over the plated dish, if desired.

Variations to keep it new

I’ve added Lion’s Mane Mushrooms for some different texture and flavor. You can also add canned mushrooms, drained.

Top with chopped green onions, just a few.

Sprinkle some raisins over the top. The combination of the lemon sauce and the sweet raisins really changes the flavor.

Wines we love with this

Pinot Grigio

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Leftovers

There is seldom any leftover, but if you do have some, it is great to just simply reheat in the microwave. I usually reheat things at power level 8 and no more than 2 minutes at a time, until hot.

Question

What would you think of adding pine nuts to this dish?