Chicken Picatta

When it comes to a meal that's both easy and delicious, nothing beats chicken picatta. I've adapted my recipe from Simply Recipes, however I've found that I like my sauce to be a little on the piquant side, hence the sherry and extra lemon juice. It really cuts through the sort of 'blah' factor chicken breasts have.

Chicken Picatta (serves 2)

1 large chicken breast

Flour

Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

2 T butter, divided

Olive oil

1 shallot, diced

½ cup sherry

1/3 cup lemon juice

2-3 tablespoons of capers

Chopped parsley

Butterfly and cut the breast in half.  Add flour, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper into a large Ziploc bag, and shake to combine. Add the chicken pieces and coat, shaking off the excess when you remove them.

Put a 10” frying pan over medium heat, and add about ½ a tablespoon of butter, and a bit of olive oil. Sauté the chicken breasts until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side depending on thickness. Remove to a plate and cover with foil while you make the sauce.

Take the pan off heat and add the shallots. They’ll burn easily, so you’ll only want to cook them for about 10 seconds or so. Add the sherry, and place the pan back over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and capers and reduce the sauce by half. Add in the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter and whisk to combine. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and top with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

I like to serve this alongside pasta – tonight I used some orzo, boiled in chicken stock with some red pepper flakes, with basil and parmesan stirred in after it was finished cooking.