Chicken Piccata – a Delicious Italian Chicken Dish

"In our home, chicken is a mealtime favorite. It's not only easy on the budget and the waistline (especially if you don't eat the skin), chicken is incredibly versatile and can be prepared so many different ways. As well as a main entree, it can be served in stews, salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, appetizers, and potpies. This 'jack-of-all-trades' can be diced, sliced, chopped, shredded, baked, poached, fried, broiled, grilled -- you are limited only by your own imagination. If you enjoy savory, tangy sauté dishes, give this Chicken Picatta recipe a try. It's a simple meal to prepare, and a sure palate pleaser."
 
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photo by LifeIsGood photo by LifeIsGood
photo by LifeIsGood
photo by LifeIsGood photo by LifeIsGood
Ready In:
45mins
Ingredients:
21
Serves:
2
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ingredients

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directions

  • Thoroughly wash and pat dry chicken.
  • Pound chicken flat - 1/2 inch (Cook's Tip: Place the chicken between two wax paper sheets and use gentle strokes when pounding - The meat can tear easily. Pounding the chicken is a very important step if you wish your chicken to be tender.).
  • Beat the egg in a bowl large enough to hold chicken.
  • In a shallow pie plate, combine flour, Parmesan, paprika, salt and pepper.
  • Dip chicken in egg, then in flour mixture until well coated.
  • Heat a wide skillet and melt the butter, then add the olive oil. When hot, add the chicken (Do not crowd skillet.). Quickly brown the chicken on both sides, adding more butter and oil as needed (Fry until appearance is golden and chicken is cooked.). Remove chicken to serving platter, keep warm.
  • In the drippings, sauté' the onion, shallot, and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the vermouth/sherry/wine and the bouillon; deglaze the skillet - stirring to get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
  • Return the chicken to the skillet. Pour the lemon juice, grated lemon peel, capers and mushrooms over the chicken; gently turn chicken to coat with sauce. Simmer for another 15 minutes.
  • For serving: Remove chicken to warm serving platter and top with sauce, parsley and lemon slices. Pair this dish with rice pilaf, a tossed salad and a glass of Chablis or Pinot Blanc, and you have a crowd pleaser!
  • Cook's Tip: If desired, you can substitute chicken breasts with veal cutlets or pork loins.

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Reviews

  1. Wow! That about says it all. I've been looking for a good picata recipe and this one is way beyond good. The only thing I didn't have was mushrooms. I may try them the next time. There's only one of me so I had leftovers but they won't be in the fridge very long. I served the meal with whole wheat pasta and a spinach salad with garlic vinegrette dressing. Garlic and lemon are two of my favorite flavors and this had me in heaven. Prep time was about right and when you start cooking this dish happens very quickly. No question about this being a 5 star recipe.
     
  2. Best meal ever! So delicious, cooks up great
     
  3. Easy to make and good flavors. Have enough of the sauce left to make meat again. May try with pork this time. Served with orzo, salad, and hot sourdough bread.
     
  4. Fabulous!! Believe it or not, my 12 year old son made this for me tonight. He even chopped the parsley fresh instead of the dried jar version. He's adding this to his Cooking Merit Badge for Boy Scouts. He served it over speghetti with a Ceasar salad and a loaf of sour dough bread.
     
  5. Outstanding flavour....very easy to make. And the sauce was heavenly....next time I will double it! Thanks for a great keeper!
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<img src="http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j166/ZaarNicksMom/PACsticker-Adopted.jpg"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> It was at my Italian grandmother's apron strings, in the "Patterson, New Jersey region" of Italy, that I learned the secrets of creating real home style Italian dishes, and where my passion for food and my culture were nurtured. Always kept neat as a pin, grandma's kitchen was the centerpiece of our social settings and the focal point of our lives together as a family. Yes, it was the heart of her home. There, friends and family exchanged news, grandchildren stood on stools over the counter and grated chunks of Romano and Parmesan cheese to be served with dinner, and under the watchful eye of grandma the women (young and old) planned and prepared mouthwatering menus that reflected the marvelous flavors and textures of Italian cooking. On any given day tantalizing aromas would build and escape through her kitchen window, dance about the balcony and drift down onto the street; where men chatting on the corner of Putnum Street would stop in their tracks to inhale the mouth-watering fragrance. So many sumptuous meals were prepared in that modest, yet functional, kitchen. If I close my eyes and think of Grandma's cooking, I can vividly recall some of those fragrant food memories: tomato sauce with meatballs and sausages simmering on the stove top; onions, peppers and garlic roasting in a fragrant pool of olive oil, Neapolitan pizza with vine-ripened tomatoes (from grandpa's garden), fresh garlic, basil, Parmesan and anchovies bubbling in the oven; Italian bread smothered with creamy butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley toasting under the broiler ... "Yummmmm - Heaven in your mouth!" Among the many recipes that I've collected over the years, are those that I hold especially near and dear. They are tattered, faded pieces of paper that provide a glimpse into my past -- Family recipes passed down from mother to daughter, granddaughter to great-granddaughter. Generations of my family's heritage are captured in grandma's recipes for flavorful soups (Minestrone, Pea, Ruccola); hearty meat, poultry and fish dishes (braciole, pot roast, chicken casseroles, seafood stews); fresh vegetable entrees and salads, and those baked goodies that bring a happy ending to every meal (Ricotta pies, Struffoli, Cenci, Pine Nut cookies). Whenever I am 'hungry' for "the good old days" or I want to soothe my soul after a tiring day, these are the comfort-recipes to which I turn. I once heard it said: "What distinguishes great cooks from good cooks is that great cooks love to cook. Every meal is an opportunity to express that love." A credo that I am certain grandma lived by -- I believe that she prepared her meals to fill her family and friends with love. I am proud of grandma's spirit of "abbondanza" (an abundant table). Indeed, no one ever left grandma's table hungry. I'd like to share with you some of the foods from my beloved grandmother's kitchen. Enjoy and make these Italian classic favorites in your own family's kitchen. Buon appetito!
 
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