Chicken Piccatta

This dinner was the dinner that almost wasn't made. The first night we attempted it, Will opened the chicken and it smelled like rotten eggs! So obviously we had to return it and ended up getting Chinese takeout instead. Then, the second time we attempted to make it was a Friday evening, but we ended up going to a potluck. Then we tried to make it Saturday night, but that just didn't happen. Finally, we succeeded by making it on Sunday night and now we have no idea why we put it off so long! Even though I thought the recipe looked complicated, Will ended up having it ready in no time, which was fantastic. It ended up being the perfect size meal and the capers gave the dish a nice salty flavor. We are now out of capers, but have finally started to take a liking to them, so they may show up again!

Cooking Notes: We split one chicken breast, which I have reflected below. The link for the original recipe is after the recipe, per usual. We also served this over a wheat pasta, which was fantastic with the light sauce from the skillet that we poured over it!

Chicken Piccatta (adapted from Budget Bytes; serves 2)
1 medium chicken breast
1 medium lemon (or lemon juice)
A handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp chicken base
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp capers

Prepare the ingredients so they're ready when you need them: roughly chop the parsley leaves, juice the lemon, mince the garlic, and combine the chicken base with 1/4 cup hot water to dissolve. Set these ingredients aside.

Trim the chicken of excess fat. Cover with plastic and pound with a mallet or rolling pin until it's even thickness (about 3/4 inch). Cut in half so that you have two pieces about the size of the palm of your hand. Season each side with S&P. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. While oil is heating, place flour in a bowl and lightly coat each piece of chicken on both sides. When oil is very hot but not smoking, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until brown on each side (about 3-5 minutes per side). Place cooked chicken on a clean plate.

Turn the heat down slightly and add the butter and minced garlic. Stir and cook for about one minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and whisk to dissolve (or "deglaze") the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the capers and chopped parsley to the pan. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken back to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over top of the chicken and allow to simmer in the sauce for 3-5 minutes. The flour on the chicken will help thicken the sauce as it simmers. Remove from pan and toss in cooked pasta, allowing it to coat in the sauce. Serve chicken and pasta separately or together!

Recipe: Budget Bytes: Chicken Piccatta