Family dinner. The one daily event that I constantly crave from Austin during the school year. There's nothing quite like it; don't you agree?
Our newest family favorite, chicken piccata, has become my mom's signature meal. All five of us love it. That's a huge feat in the Greenstein household.
Last week, my sister and parents were out of town, leaving me and my brother alone in Memphis. I decided to play "mom" and try her recipe for the two of us and my boyfriend, Alex. It was delish!
This time, we served our piccata with haricot verts (roasted in the oven at 450 degrees on a baking sheet) and oven fried japanese eggplant from Gary's Garden (dunked in egg whites and Italian style bread crumbs, baked alongside the beans).
Here's an eggplant tip: after slicing the bite-sized pieces, sprinkle sea salt and allow the eggplant to sit for 15-20 minutes. The salt will draw out the water and cause pooling on top of each slice. Use a paper towel to dry off the water. This process will make your eggplant extra crispy.
I hope this dish becomes a family favorite for you, too!
chicken piccata
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 365 cal. | 16 g fat (6 g sat.) | 9.3 g carb | 41.1 g protein
4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I buy the cutlets at Fresh Market!)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons torn basil leaves
1. Place 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl and set aside. Pour remainder of flour into a shallow dish and dredge both sides of chicken in flour. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Shake off excess.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan, sautéing 4 minutes on each side until done. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan and swirl to coat. Sauté shallots for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add wine and bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally.
4. Add 1/4 cup broth to the reserved 1 teaspoon flour (step 1); stir until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup to pan and bring to a coil. Cook 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Then, stir in flour mixture until slightly thick (approx. 1 minute). Remove from heat.
5. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, juice, and capers. Top each breast with about 2 tablespoons sauce and garnish with basil and a sprinkle of parmesan. Angel hair is a lighter starch option to nest the chicken.
adapted from cooking light magazine
