Courier Cookbook Picatta

When you think of "piccata" it is usually accompanied by "chicken" or "veal." That butter, capers, and lemon flavor is a favorite. If you like that flavor, try using it in salads, pasta, and of course chicken. Piccata sauce can go any which way.

CHICKEN PICCATA

Submitted by Elise Marylander

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

½ cup heavy cream or milk

2 tsp. Maldon salt

½ cup cornstarch or flour

3 Tbsp. butter (or more)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow sweet onion, roughly chopped

2 tsp. crushed garlic (or to taste)

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. black pepper

Sliced baby bella mushrooms

2 Tbsp. capers

¾ cup chicken broth

¼ cup white wine (the kind you drink, not just cook with)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, zest if available

Lemon sliced thin for garnish

Directions:

Slice chicken breasts lengthwise. Lightly pound thin.

Sprinkle with Maldon salt. Put in a bowl and cover with heavy cream or milk. Let sit for several hours or overnight.

Pat dry.

Dredge in flour or cornstarch with 1 tsp. pepper.

Heat cast iron pan with olive oil. Add chicken being careful they don't touch each other. Wait 3 minutes before flipping. Cook for another 2 or three minutes.

Remove from pan.

Scrape pan. Add butter, onions, and garlic. Saute. When onions are translucent, add capers. Then add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add lemon juice and scrape pan. Then add chicken broth and wine to make a sauce.

Add the chicken back into the pan. Add parsley. Allow sauce to thicken but don't overcook the chicken.

Add lemon slices. Remove from the pan and garnish with parsley and lemon slices. Serve with pasta, potatoes, rice, or anything.

PICCATA PASTA

Adapted from https://www.foodiecrush.com/

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound chicken breasts, cubed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces sliced brown mushrooms

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 cup white wine

6 tablespoons cold butter

3 lemons

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes

3.5 ounces capers

1 pound linguine or other pasta

Minced parsley, Italian panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the time on the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes, turning once or twice, until lightly browned.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mushrooms and tomatoes to the bowl with the browned chicken.

Add the chicken broth and wine to the skillet, bring to a bubbling simmer, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the juice of 2 lemons. Add the capers. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the sauce reduces by a third. Add the chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes back to the sauce. Thinly slice the remaining lemon and add to the chicken and vegetables. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to emulsify and thicken the sauce.

Drain the pasta and add it in batches back to the skillet with the sauce, tossing to coat as the pasta continues cooking and absorbs some of the buttery wine sauce. Alternatively, put the drained pasta back in the empty pasta pot and add the sauce to the pasta. Toss to coat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle with minced parsley, Parmesan cheese, or Italian panko bread crumbs if desired.

CREAMY PICCATA

What is piccata without cream? Add heavy cream to any piccata recipe while making the sauce. You can top the creamy piccata with Parmesan cheese for an especially tasty sauce. You can also bread your chicken with panko or breadcrumbs before cooking. All delicious options!

Next week, the Courier Cookbook will feature all kinds of salad dressings. Submit those vinaigrettes, those creamy toppings, those simple and complex emulsions of goodness to [email protected].