Why does Chicken Piccata deserve to be a classic? Well, first of all, it’s delicious! But also because it’s easy to make. Classic dishes have stood the test of time–they’ve been around long enough for people to know what they taste like and how they’re supposed to be made. This is why classics are classics: they’re tried and authentic recipes that stand up against anything else today.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour for dredging
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ½ -inch thickness
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon flour mixed with 1/4 cup water (thickener)
Flour for dredging
To prepare the chicken, mix 1 cup of flour with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Dredge the chicken pieces through the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess before frying.
Sea salt
Sea salt evaporates seawater, whereas table salt is mined from underground deposits. Sea salt has a more complex flavor than table salt because of its unique mineral composition; it also tends to be less salty than regular granulated table salt.
Because sea salt comes from a natural source, it has been historically prized as a valuable commodity—and unlike table salt, it’s 100 per cent natural and completely unprocessed (although some brands may be lightly refined).
Freshly ground black pepper
Pepper is a member of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes and potatoes. As such, it has been used as a food flavoring since ancient times. It is one of the most common seasonings in all cuisines worldwide because it adds delicate flavor notes to almost any dish — especially meats.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 -inch thickness
To pound out the chicken, you can use a meat mallet or a rubber mallet. If you have neither of these tools, you can use a rolling pin.
Pound the chicken with firm blows until it has been flattened to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
3 tablespoons butter, divided
Butter is traditionally used in this recipe. You can substitute olive oil if you prefer a lighter sauce and want to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Using a nonstick skillet, use less butter than the recipe calls for because it won’t be necessary to prevent sticking.
Likewise, if you’re using an iron skillet that needs plenty of oil to prevent sticking (such as cast iron), use more butter than the recipe calls for so that your chicken doesn’t stick to your pan during cooking.
1 tablespoon flour mixed with 1/4 cup water (thickener)
Add the flour-water slurry to the pan, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with more lemon juice if needed. When the mixture has thickened slightly and coats the back of a spoon, remove it from heat.
If you love Italian food, this is the perfect dish for your next dinner party. This chicken piccata recipe calls for simple ingredients like lemon juice and capers that combine beautifully as a flavorful sauce coating each bite of breaded chicken breast. This recipe is so good it will easily be in the running as one of your family favorites!