WEEKDAY CHICKEN PICCATA

This recipe is a breeze...a nice fresh plate of citrus and crispy crusty chicken.  I made some fusilli pasta with steamed broccoli and asparagus and spooned the pan sauce all over everything.  This was a great week day option...healthy and tasty.


4 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 lemon
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup capers
1/2 cup pinot grigio or other dry white wine
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped parsley



Cut the breasts in half, then to make it a cutlet, slice along the muscle from one end to the other, to create a flap that you will open up, place in a plastic baggie and pound down to about 1/4 in thick. 

beat your meat sidebar:  make nice little taps

 all over the meat until it flattens

 out to your desired thickness.

  If you pound the hell out of it it will squirt

 out all over the place and be uneven.

  take it easy when beating your meat.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and lemon zest in a shallow pie plate and mix it around with a fork.

Get your capers ready for the sauce

Two tablespoons of olive oil into the pan....get it to medium heat and wait for the ripples...

Two cutlets at a time into the flour mixture...pat off excess flour and into the hot oil for about 3-4 minutes per side

Just put it in the pan and let it sizzle a little, don't even think about moving it for three minutes...it should release after then...

fusilli in some salted boiling water

Broccoli and asperi cut up and steamed...do the broccoli first for like five minutes, then throw the asperi in for two or three minutes.

After the first batch of chicken is done, cover it to keep it warm while the second batch is going...

Capers into the pan for about a minute....then the broth and wine into the pan....get it to a simmer and let it reduce for four minutes or so...

Throw a tbsp of butter into the pot with drained fusilli, add the steamed veg, toss together and plate.

Off of the heat add the parsley and lemon two tbsp of lemon juice...taste and adjust with salt pepper or lemon juice accordingly.

This one was so pretty it gets two pictures...