Easy Italian Fare

This is one of those items that is on the menu at dozens of Italian Restaurants, but I don’t recall ever actually ordering it. For some reason I thought I’d try to make it for the family. That was a couple of years ago, and now it’s on table every couple of weeks. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit, and it’s easy to make it into a healthy option as well. Here’s the standard fare version:

Simple Chicken Picatta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or use four chicken cutlets if desired)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup flour

¼ cup bread crumbs (I use Panko)

Salt and pepper

1 egg white

¼ cup milk

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Capers (as desired, approx. ¼ cup drained for full recipe)

Chopped fresh parsley

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Take the chicken breasts and cut them in half on the plane to get 4 cutlets. If they are more than ¼” thick, place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them flat to achieve desired thickness. Rinse the breasts in water and set aside.

Whisk the egg white and add milk.

Combine and stir the flour, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Coat the chicken in the egg wash, and then place in the flour mixture until well coated on each side.

Place 2 of chicken breasts in the pan, without crowding them, and cooking on each side until golden brown. Remove to a platter and cook the other two. Wrap the four cutlets and platter in foil and place in the oven to keep warm.

Add the chicken stock, white wine, and capers (if desired). Cook sauce until reduced to about ½. Add the butter and scrape up the browned chicken bits to complete the sauce.

Serve the chicken plated with pasta of choice. Top with sauce, shredded Parmesan, and chopped fresh parsley. For added flair, garnish with lemon slice.

Enjoy!