summer in sight. [chicken piccata]

As I’ve mentioned before, I love hosting dinner parties on week nights. They break up long work weeks, and offer a chance to hang out with friends sans the bar scene. Selfishly, dinner parties also give me an opportunity to post something on my blog. :)

I thought it fitting to make Ina Garten’s simple recipe for chicken piccata, since summer is approaching and I already had most of the essential ingredients–lemon, capers and chicken. My roommate made a delicious artichoke and goat cheese strata to compliment the chicken, which unfortunately, I forgot to photograph.

Our dinner party was complete when my roommate discovered the country music channel on TV. If you would have asked me one year ago, I would not have approved of her finding–I despised country music. But, all thanks to my friend Dana, I listen to the music genre on a regular now.

Overall, the night was a success, filled with heaping amounts of delectable food, generously poured glasses of red wine and a little Blake Shelton to set the mood. :)

Recipe:

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 cup flour

2 large eggs

1 tbsp. water

2 cups Trader Joe’s organic bread crumbs

Olive oil

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons), lemon halves reserved

1 cup dry white wine

Sliced lemon, for serving

Chopped fresh, or dried, parsley, for serving

Capers, as desired

Directions:

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of Saran wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1 tbsp. of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each uncooked chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook 5-6 minutes on each side, or until bread crumb exterior is golden and chicken is cooked through.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 3-4 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and top with capers, parsley and a slice of lemon.