Chicken Picatta

This is definitely a go-to meal when I don't know what to cook. It contains ingredients that I pretty much always have in the house (with the exception of capers, which I feel are optional in this recipe anyway.) It is one of my favorite Italian dishes and is delicious with pasta or rice. I like to make a simple white rice or pilaf with chicken stock and we had some roasted green beans. Yum!



Recipe (serves 4)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
flour, for dredging
6 T butter
olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 c white wine
1/4 c chicken stock
chopped fresh parsley
3 T capers (optional)

Place chicken pieces, one at a time, in a large Ziploc bag and pound until about 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and 2 T butter over med-high heat. Add a couple of pieces of chicken (DO NOT crowd the pan) and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate. Add 2 more T of butter and a little more olive oil and cook remaining pieces of chicken. Remove chicken to plate. To skillet add wine and stock (you can use all stock if you wish) and lemon juice and capers, if using. Bring to a simmer scraping the bottom of the pan. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return chicken to pan and simmer for 5 minutes or so until chicken is cooked and warmed through. Remove chicken to plates and add 2 T butter to sauce and whisk until melted. Serve sauce over chicken and garnish with chopped parsley.