Chicken Piccata

When I first started doing this blog, I wanted to have a way to share recipes with my friends and keep personal notes on the recipes we try because I planned on having an entire year of not repeating a dish.  I wanted to do this for two reasons. I wanted to expand my and my family's palette beyond the dishes that we already loved, and I also wanted to push myself culinarily by trying  to make some things that I may not necessarily tried before because they were out of my comfort zone.  Now that I'm getting close to have completed a year of new recipes (Every day trying a new recipe it isn't very practical, and to never miss a day because of eating out or a special occasion is virtually impossible)  I am looking to what I want to do with the next year of my culinary training and food experiences. Its always been a dream of mine it to eat as seasonal and local as possible and so I would like to start transitioning into educating myself and my family on what produce can be not only acquired in season but as local as possible rather than just new recipes. (the grocery isn't much help in that regard)  Seasonal produce is  tastier  and if you can acquire it locally, you get a riper product and you're also doing a lot to reduce the carbon footprint in addition to getting the food at it's peak.  Also if you can find local purveyors of produce, you can often get organic for a much better deal.  I try to incorporate organic in as much as possible.  Well that is where I want to evolve to, but for tonight I am still on to the new recipes.

Tonight I made chicken piccata with orzo and a green salad made of local organic greens.  I am a big fan of capers and I thought this would be a good recipe to incorporate in to my repertoire.  I have avoided chicken dishes in the past.  The raw poultry meat gives me the willies and I wouldn't eat chicken until I was pregnant with my two year old.  For some reason I craved all kinds of meat and fruit.  The two things I didn't regularly eat.  I have always been a carb and veggie girl.   (coincidentally meat and fruit are all my daughter eats.  She won't have carbs except on rare occasions) But I digress...

The Picatta was really good.  My husband loved it.  I don't know that I can ever adore a chicken dish, but this one came pretty close.  I also thought it was pretty easy.  The most labor intensive part was the butterflying of the chicken.  I also thought it needed a bit of pounding.  That "labor" could easily be remedied by having your butcher do it or buying the thin cutlets at the grocery.

Chicken Piccata

2    skinless and boneless chicken breasts,butterflied and then cut
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour,for dredging
6 T  unsalted butter
5 T  extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 c  fresh lemon juice
1/2 c  chicken stock
1/4 c  brined capers,rinsed
1/3 c  fresh parsley,chopped
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and
shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter
with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add
2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned,
flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate.
Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil.
When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken
and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add
chicken to the plate.
Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and
bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.
Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5
minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter
to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with
parsley.