This recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich and it’s Northern Italian. She is one of my favorite chefs. I have two of her cookbooks and this comes from Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen. I have made it several times and it’s always delicious. Chicken Piccata is usually not made with olives but I think the olives give it a great flavor. I also served mine over asparagus but you could certainly use another vegetable, if you prefer. To see how I made my Scallopine in a lemon caper sauce, keep on reading.
Scallopine in a Lemon-Caper Sauce (Scaloppine Piccata)
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 lemons
1 1/2 lbs. thin sliced, boneless skinless chicken breasts
all purpose flour
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
10 large green olives, cut into strips
1/4 cup small capers
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Juice one and a half of the lemons and reserve. Cut the remaining half of lemon into very thin slices. Remove the pits and set aside.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour to coat, tapping off the excess. In a large frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the butter is foaming, but not burning. Add as many as the chicken cutlets that will fit in the pan without crowding and saute until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side until lightly browned. About 2 minutes. Remove the cutlets from the pan and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Pour off the fat and carefully wipe out the pan with paper towels. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic and reserved lemon slices. Cook, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan, until the garlic is golden, about 2-3 minutes. Scoop out the slices of lemon and set aside. Add the capers and olives to the pan and cook, stirring gently until they begin to sizzle about 3-4 minutes. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly syrupy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the reserved lemon juice. Return the chicken to the pain, coating the cutlets with the sauce and warmed through and coated. Sprinkle the parsley and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with reserved lemon slices. Serve and enjoy!
P.S. Another great chicken recipe that I have are my Baked Chicken Parmesan Bundles and a perfect appetizer to pair with this Scallopine in a Lemon Caper Sauce recipe are my Steamed Mussels in a Garlic & Herb Wine Sauce.
Recipe adapted from Lidia Bastianich
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