Date Night Lemon Chicken Piccata
Every once in a while, I get a craving for chicken with that authentic, lemony flavor of Date Night Chicken Piccata made easy. Here’s an easy recipe that can be done in ten to twelve minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. The amazing thing is how this sauce slightly thickens on its own for the perfect consistency. I kept this menu light, but see my fresh pasta recipe on this site to serve with pasta.
Ingredients Date Night Chicken Piccata
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup of King Arthur All Purpose Flour
sea salt and white pepper
3 TB of olive oil plus 1/4 cup of olive oil (for the salad)
4 to 6 oz of spring asparagus (that’s the skinny stalks)
1 egg yolk (preferably organic or pasteurized)
1 TB Dijon mustard
2 TB of Pinot Grigio vinegar (or other good quality white wine vinegar)
1 head of Boston lettuce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup Frey Natural White Wine
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB capers
Method
Wash lettuce leaves and dry with a salad spinner or paper towels. Shred (with clean hands) into bite-sized pieces. In a large mixing bowl add the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Slowly whisk in the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Do not toss until ready to serve. Before serving, check seasoning. I ended up adding a little splash more vinegar and tossing again.
On a cutting board, you can cut the chicken breasts lengthwise through the middle creating two chicken cutlets for each breast. Pound each cutlet to about 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper on each side, then dredge in flour on each side, shaking off the excess. Heat a large frying pan to medium high, add 2 TB of olive oil. When hot, add the chicken cutlets. You may have to do two batches. Saute for 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate to rest. (They will not be completely cooked yet.) Snap asparagus ends off by holding up each stalk and snapping it towards the end. It will snap at the point between the tender part and the woody, inedible part. In the same pan, saute over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. (You may want to add the other TB of olive oil.) When they just begin to wilt, add the garlic and saute for 1 – 2 minutes more. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Then, deglaze the pan on medium high heat with the Chardonnay. Add the lemon juice and capers. Lower the heat to medium low. Add the chicken back to the pan. The flour on the chicken will make a perfect sauce. Saute, (trying not to let the sauce boil rapidly, a simmer is okay) for another 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. You can check with a thermometer if you wish, and aim for about 165 degrees F. When you let the chicken rest, the carryover heat will raise the temperature to where it needs to be. (The government recommends 180 F, so go with that if you want chicken that tastes like sawdust.)
Serve a couple of cutlets per person on a plate with asparagus on the side. You may also serve the chicken over fresh pasta. Don’t forget to serve the salad with some crusty bread and butter! Date Night Chicken Piccata
