Chicken Piccata
Quick answer
- Total time
- 30 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Lemon juice and briny capers cut through a butter pan sauce, giving thin chicken cutlets a bright, sharp finish.
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The base of that sauce is the browned layer left in the skillet; white wine loosens it so none of that flavor is wasted. The lemon juice is added off the heat, because boiling dulls its fresh aroma. Cold butter swirled in at the very end emulsifies the sauce so it clings to the light flour coating instead of pooling. Mashed potatoes or pasta make good company for the extra sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Slice the 2 chicken breasts horizontally or pound them to an even thin thickness.
Juice the lemon, measure 2 tablespoons of capers, and keep the 40 g butter ready so the sauce can come together quickly.
- 2
Spread the 3 tablespoons flour in a shallow layer and coat both sides of each chicken piece lightly.
Shake off thick excess flour, because loose flour can burn in the pan and make the sauce cloudy.
- 3
Heat a skillet over medium heat, melt part of the butter, and lay in the chicken without overlapping the pieces.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the flour coating turns golden and the meat firms up.
- 4
Transfer the chicken to a plate, then pour 80 ml white wine into the same hot skillet.
Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the wine smells less sharp.
- 5
Lower the heat and add the capers so their briny flavor spreads through the reduced wine.
Turn off the heat before adding the lemon juice, which keeps its fresh aroma and clean acidity intact.
- 6
Add the remaining cold butter in small pieces and swirl the pan until the sauce turns glossy and lightly thickened.
Spoon it over the chicken right away and serve warm, with extra sauce for pasta or mashed potatoes.
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