Piccata is simply a sauce made from butter, parsley and lemon. Chicken and fish are commonly prepared using a piccata-style sauce, and while there are very traditional ways to make dishes prepared with this classic Italian sauce, I like to make mine as bare boned as possible. Omitting the capers commonly found in this dish and adding lemon rind to enhance the citrus, my chicken piccata is light, simple and perfectly refreshing for a sunny evening in the Pacific Northwest. Typically when cooking I like to use a dry wine like Pinot Gris, but for a sauce, I prefer to use something a bit heavier containing more complex flavors such as those found in Chardonnay. Hailing from Washington’s Columbia Valley, I used Covey Run’s 2011 Chardonnay. This wine pairs excellently with seafood, so feel free to experiment and sub the chicken in this recipe for a white fish like sole or cod.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, butterflied (about 1 ½ pounds)
½ cup flour for dredging
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup Covey Run Chardonnay
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon rind
6 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste, then lightly dredge in the flour. Set aside.
In a large pan over medium heat, melt olive oil and butter together. Once oil and butter are well heated, add chicken to pan and brown on each side (2-3 minutes per side). Once both sides of each piece have been browned, remove from pan and set aside on a plate.
Next, add the lemon juice and wine to the pan, and bring to a boil. Scrape the sides of the pan to ensure that everything has been incorporated into the liquids.
Once the contents of the pan reach a boil, add chicken back to pan and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens and most of it adheres to the chicken, about 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Plate chicken, adding any remaining sauce as desired. Garnish with parsley and enjoy alongside risotto and a simple salad or your favorite green.
