Chicken Piccata with Sugar Snap Peas
It’s not the best picture, but it’s the picture of the best chicken piccata recipe you’ve ever tasted. Served with sauteed sugar snap peas and sun-dried tomato rice, this chicken piccata will satisfy gourmands and picky children alike. Just as some people swear they hate anchovies but greedily dig into plates of caesar salad, guests claiming to hate capers will lick their plates clean after eating this dish. When I’m entertaining, I ask the friends I’m having over if there are foods they don’t or won’t eat. Generally, this results in answers like, “Cheese makes me sick,” or “No red meat,” or “No shellfish,” and rarely answers as specific as “No capers.” Yet, if you ask a group of people if they like certain foods like capers, mushrooms, or eggplant, you’re guaranteed to get some Nos. What’s the deal? I think many people avoid certain foods (proteins notwithstanding) because they think they don’t like them, or have had a bad experience with them served in a less-than-tasty preparation. Of course, some people have food allergies, but for those who don’t, my take is that many caper-haters and mushroom-avoiders just need to try capers and mushrooms in a tasty preparation.
There’s something to be said for the earthiness mushrooms add to a stew and the brininess capers add to a rich sauce. Without them, the balance in flavor is lost, and so is the quality of your resulting dish. In this recipe for chicken piccata, capers are a mandatory ingredient, not only for maintaining authenticity, but also for brightening the flavor of the pan sauce that elevates this dish to a level beyond simple, breaded, sauteed chicken. Serving it with sugar snap peas and rice cooked with sun-dried tomatoes elevates this dish to a meal elegant enough for any dinner party. Last week, I made this on Wednesday night to eat while watching Top Chef- an homage to one Italian contestant who didn’t know how to make chicken piccata despite growing up in the restaurant biz… It shocked the judges- and I would assume nearly every Italian-American watching- so I decided to show those contestants (in spirit, perhaps) how it’s done. Below, find my recipe for chicken piccata: one that begs to be served with a glass of dry Italian white wine and an episode of your favorite food show. Enjoy!
Chicken Piccata
Serves 4
For the Chicken
4 small chicken breasts, boned, skinned (if chicken breasts are the large supermarket variety, buy 2 big ones & slice them in half)
1 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp paprika
2 eggs, mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice
salt
canola oil, for cooking
For the Sauce
1/2 cup dry white white
1 cup chicken stock or water (if using water, stir 1 tsp cornstarch into it before adding to the pan, so the sauce thickens)
2 tsp capers
2 tbsp butter, cold, diced into small pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
salt
Rice, steamed with minced Sun-Dried Tomatoes, to serve (follow package directions and add tomatoes with the water)
Sugar Snap Peas, sauteed in a pan with olive oil, 1 small squeeze of lemon juice, and salt)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pound chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer or mallet, to 1/4 to no more than 1/2 inch thickness.
2. Preheat large saute pan with canola oil over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and dredge first in flour, then in egg mixture, coating each piece completely. Immediately place dipped chicken breasts into hot pan, cooking two at a time, a makign sure not to crowd your pan (with a crowded pan, your chicken will steam and not form a golden crust).
3. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side. It will take less time than normal since the chicken has been pounded into thin cutlets. Set cooked chicken on an oven-safe plate, and place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the other two pieces of chicken. Set those pieces on the plate in the oven once cooked through, and keep warm while making the pan sauce.
4. Remove any large pieces of breading from the saute pan, but keep the small golden brown bits that have created a “fond”on the bottom of your pan. Place the pan on high heat, add the white wine, and reduce the liquid “a sec,” or until there is only a couple tablespoons of liquid left in the pan.
5. Add the chicken stock or water/cornstarch slurry and capers and cook for 2 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the cold butter, stirring constantly, until fully melted. Stir in the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning. Add salt as needed and serve on top of the chicken, plated with the rice and sugar snap peas. Enjoy!
-M : )
