Chicken Piccata
March is one of my favourite months. The weather is perfect. You can live in your room with a fan (though Natasha is sitting in a jacket under a blanket while complaining about how hot it is outside. I don’t understand how her body works) while the day warms up enough to give you a taste of what summer will hold for you in the days to come. In my youth, I loved Holi as well. It signaled the final time of hot showers, and the city turned a whole other color. This year I will be spending my holi wearing a pristine white kurta with a beer in my hand and hopefully lots of bhang to drink and smoke. It’s the one time through the year when cultural cannabis consumption is allowed by society (albeit the law may not see it any differently).
The change in season also signals how close I am to so many other changes in my life. New relationships, new home, and another person to cook for! The last one excites me. I can imagine us fighting about what to eat and learning recipes that we will both like. Making food for a blog and making it every day is very different. I have been incredibly privileged not to cook daily, but I am excited to do that. In that effort, I have been making meals that I know that both Natasha and I would enjoy over a weekday. The goal with these dishes is to be light but full of protein, carbs, and (sometimes) a lot of fat. So, ever since the start of the year, I have been building a new set of recipes that I believe will become our weeknight meals.
That is where the chicken piccata comes in. It’s an Italian-themed recipe made by Italian immigrants in the United States around the 1930s. The recipe comes with a simple thought. Breaded chicken with a glossy lemon sauce with added tart and texture through brined capers. This version is closer to the classic recipe but is open to changes. I would serve this with stir-fried veggies and chicken, and the sauce drizzled with a slice of Focaccia bread. The recipe takes 10 minutes to make, but just some planning to make sure you have all the ingredients. I hope you try this recipe, and let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Glimpses from the week
Recipe
Ingredients
Crispy Chicken
450g (2 large pieces), skinless, boneless chicken
4 tbsp flour
2 1/2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red chili powder
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Lemon Sauce
2 tbsp butter
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp capers in brine
1 1/2 tsp parsley finely chopped, plus more for garnish
Method
Cut each breast into three pieces. Then place between 2 pieces of cling wrap or paper and pound to 1/2 cm / 0.2″ thickness.
Drizzle chicken with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and spread with your fingers on both sides.
Mix flour, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat chicken, pressing to adhere, then shaking off excess.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add butter and let it melt.
Place three pieces of chicken in the skillet. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes until golden, then turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. Remove onto a plate, and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Pour out and discard excess fat in the skillet, then wipe it with paper towels (no need to clean thoroughly).
Still, on medium-high heat, add wine. Let it simmer rapidly until it reduces by half – around 3 minutes.
Add lemon and simmer for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to low. Add cubed butter and swirl the pan to make it melt but not go foamy. The sauce should be glossy, translucent, and slightly thickened.
Stir in capers and parsley. Serve chicken with Sauce, sprinkled with extra parsley if desired!
