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REVISITING MY CLASSIC: Chicken Piccata

June 14, 2010

CUISINE: Italian

My earliest memories of Italian food revolve around The Chase, a Santa Barbara restaurant that has been around since, well, before I can remember.  It's the kind of spot that has white tablecloths and black-and-white photographs cover the walls.  Regulars talk to one another at the bar or settle into the red-leather booths.  Customers wave across the room at familiar faces.  During the holiday season, the place is a shrine to decorating: twinkle lights drip from every surface, light-up reindeer soar across the sky, pine garlands encircle the room. CONT'D

I remember going there for lunch when I spent a day at the office with my father, my introduction to dipping bread in olive oil (though I'll admit I also put salt, butter and parmesan on the same piece), trying veal for the first time, and dinners surrounded by cousins.  You would think I was Italian.  But my most predominant memory of The Chase is their chicken piccata.  More specifically, my sister and the chicken piccata. Essentially, it's chicken breast, pounded thin, dredged in flour, and pan-cooked with lemon and capers.  Samantha has been a fiend for the stuff since she first got teeth.  She ordered the same thing — with a side of rich, rich fettucine alfredo — every time we went to the restaurant, and it was always explicitly clear that she would not be sharing.  Samantha is, and always has been, impishly small, and when the platter arrived it would dwarf her.  No matter, she scooched the thing closer to the edge of the table and as far away from everyone else as possible.  If anyone so much as inhaled the scent of her dish, she would stab them with her fork.

I still got my share of picatta though, even if I was more of an eggplant parmesan kind of girl, as there were always leftovers.  And despite how good it is, I've never ordered the dish anywhere else, nor attempted to cook it, until recently.  The Giada cookbook I've been sourcing from so frequently proffered a version good enough to share, despite my lack of camera (the above photo is about as good as a blackberry can muster.)  This dish is simple, easy, but still interesting and produces great results — just of like your neighborhood Italian food joint.

Chicken Piccata
Recipe sourced from Giada De Laurentiis
Serves 4

    * 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
    * Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    * All-purpose flour, for dredging
    * 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
    * 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    * 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
    * 1/2 cup chicken stock
    * 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
    * 1/3 cup 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.

Posted in FOOD on June 14, 2010 3:00pm by Rachel Hochhauser | 29 comments

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We are young (early 20's) and hungry (for knowledge! music! art! food!) friends living on (or in areas which border) Manhattan. We moved to the city seeking higher education, and an alternative to frat parties and gin buckets. We prefer a bottle of Chianti to a keg, lunches at City Bakery to a dining hall, Joe's to Starbucks, Frankie's Amatriciana to Batali's. Our uniting factor is our love for food. For detailed, personal information, keep reading.
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