Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 15 minutes
Delicately seared chicken escalopes in a light lemon butter and caper sauce.
Italian restaurants were coming into their own and Chicken Piccata was a favorite on the menu and survives to this day.
For the home cook it is a quick, elegant and light dish that is prepped and cooked in 30 minutes. It pairs well with pretty much any vegetable or a small pasta like orzo or angel hair pasta.
Traditionally made by frying chicken breasts, I prefer lightly sautéing the juicier and tastier thighs. Also, most recipes call for dredging the chicken with flour to enhance browning. I don’t bother since you will be searing the flattened thighs for only a couple of minutes each side. To brown them would require more time and run the risk of drying them out.
Chicken Piccata
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- large lemon - part of it sliced into four thin slices, the rest juiced.
- ¼ cup water (Optional- add a couple of splashes of white wine).
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chopped or dried oregano (or whatever herb you have available)
- 2 tbsp capers
- salt to taste
Instructions
THE CHICKEN
- Pat thighs dry with kitchen paper and flatten to about 1/4″ thickness. Cut each thigh across in half and salt both sides.
- Cook in two batches in moderately hot olive oil for about 2 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. (Cover them with foil so they stay moist and warm).
THE SAUCE
- On a medium/low heat, sauté finely chopped shallots in a tablespoon of unsalted butter for a minute.
- Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup water ( and a little white wine if using), a 1/2 tsp of sugar to reduce the lemon’s acidity. Increase heat and simmer for about a minute.
- Remove from fire (keep fire on low in case you want to heat the butter as it emulsifies). Stir in 2 -3 tbsp butter cold butter to the lemon and shallot mixture until the sauce thickens - about two minutes. See video below.
- Crush a few capers to release their flavor and stir in some whole ones with the oregano for a minute over a low heat. Taste for salt.
- Add thighs with their juices to sauce to warm up for a minute. Plate chicken, pour sauce, granish with lemon slices and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
For other dishes that use a velvety butter sauce, try Mahi Mahi with a lemony butter sauce, chicken Involtini rolls or baby zucchinis dressed with a butter sauce.
Pam Clemmons
This is a most delicious and easy to prepare chicken piccata recipe! Very tasty! I love that the same sauce can be used for fish as well. This will be saved and used over again.
Thanks for sharing!
Pam
Derek Farwagi
Pam,
Thanks for your kind words. Yes this is one my favorites. So easy and so flexible.
Stay safe.
Derek
John Brinduse
I learned a version from “Chef Michael ” (Michael’s Taste of Sicily.com” ) I got to talk with him on a train ride in 2019. He uses the lemon zest and the “Heart of the Lemon”, the membrane from the squeezed lemon. chopped fine, in addition to the juice, a trick taught to him by an old chef in Sicily. I won’t make it any other way now!
Derek Farwagi
John, What a great idea and thanks for taking to the time to write in.
Derek