Sometimes series leave behind not only memes and quotes but also gastronomic associations. Fans of the show "The Office" may remember how Robert California ordered Chicken Piccata – a classic Italian-American dish made with chicken in a creamy lemon sauce with capers. And, to be honest, you can understand him: the dish is simultaneously simple, elegant, fragrant (mmm, fantastic lemon aroma), and very “restaurant-like” in taste.
Despite its Italian roots, Chicken Piccata gained the most popularity in the USA. The main feature of the dish is thinly sliced (and sometimes additionally pounded) meat, quick frying, and a bright sauce made from fresh lemons, butter, olive oil, garlic, onions, and capers.
Time required: up to 30 minutes
Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Cost: average
We will need:
2 chicken fillets
3-4 tbsp flour for breading
2–3 tbsp olive oil
40-50 g butter
150 ml chicken broth
1 lemon
2–3 tbsp capers
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt
black pepper
fresh parsley for serving.
Preparation
Preparing the chickenCut the chicken fillet in half lengthwise to get thinner pieces. You can also lightly pound them through plastic wrap if you want to achieve very tender fillets. Additionally, this way the meat will cook faster and more evenly if you don’t slice it too thinly.
Breading Season with salt and pepper and lightly coat the chicken in flour. Shake off the excess flour. We need a thin layer, not a thick breading.
FryingHeat olive oil and butter in a pan. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
Sauce: the main magic of the dishIn the same pan, quickly sauté the finely chopped garlic and onion sliced into half rings in the fat. Add the lemons and capers, pour in the broth, and simmer the sauce for a few minutes. To prevent the sauce from becoming bitter, you can remove the lemons.
You can add more butter to make the sauce shinier and creamier.
Return the chicken to the pan for another 1-2 minutes to soak in the sauce.
Serving
Chicken Piccata pairs wonderfully with:
with side salad pasta
mashed potatoes
rice
grilled vegetables
or simply with a fresh crispy baguette, which is very convenient for scooping up the lemon-butter sauce
Before serving, sprinkle the dish with fresh parsley.
So if you want to prepare something quick but with the feeling of a restaurant dinner – Chicken Piccata is definitely worth a try. But Shroot will still order a steak, right??)
