Chicken Piccata

 I know it seems like I have made so many chicken dishes this year, sorry Bettie and Lyle, but we all thought this might have been one of the best. The recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa. I have never, ever, had one of her recipes fail. Not often you can say that about a cookbook author.

 This recipe for Chicken Piccata is a take off on Veal Piccata. Veal is getting hard to find and expensive. These were tender and flavorful and the quick cooking time allows them to be made any night. I served them with cornbread stuffing and green beans, no potatoes needed.

 Pounding the breasts thin allows for a quick cooking time

and the lemon and butter sauce really tops them off. Breading first in flour, than in egg and finally in fine, dry, bread crumbs gives them a golden crust and the flour before the egg helps the crumbs adhere. Do pat the chicken dry before flouring and shake off the excess flour before putting in the beaten egg. If you want a quick, healthy, great tasting meal this is one of the best.

Chicken Piccata

4 split (2 whole) boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

Kosher salt, and black pepper

1 cup all-purpose  flour (GF flour works well)

2 large to extra large eggs

1 ½ cups dried bread crumbs (you can use GF bread to make crumbs)

Olive or salad oil

3 tablespoon room temperature butter

⅓ cup lemon juice (save the lemon halves)

½ cup dry white wine

Sliced lemon for serving   Parsley for serving

 Preheat oven to 400°. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic srap and pound out to ¼” thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

 Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper on shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. (paper plates work well here)

 Dip the chicken first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip dip in the egg and bread-crumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saute pan over medium to medium low heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan while you brown the other two pieces adding more oil if needed. Add to sheet pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes (I baked mine 8 minutes) while making the sauce.

 For the sauce, wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir to combine. Serve one breast on each plate, spoon some sauce over, top with lemon slices, and sprinkle with parsley.