Over the years, I’ve had a lot of versions of Chicken Piccata. I remember my Nana made this dish with veal on the holidays. Veal is expensive and can be hard to find, so I’m using chicken. Honestly, I prefer chicken.

Chicken Piccata is perfect on its own. I’m going a step further and serving my Chicken Piccata Over Fettuccine. I love the way the pasta absorbs the lemony sauce.

Okay, let’s get started.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 rimmed baking sheet pan with a wire rack, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan or a (12-inch) deep-sided rondeau pan, chef’s knife, Microplane, 1 (2-cup) liquid measuring cup, 1 set of dry measuring cups, wooden spoon, hand-held juicer, optional, 1 (6-quart) stock pot, cutting board, meat-safe cutting board, tongs, 1 small mixing bowl, 1 large mixing bowl, 3 small condiment bowls

Ingredients:
3 boneless-skinless chicken breasts, cut in half, then cut in half lengthwise
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
3 lemons, 1 with both ends cut off, sliced in half, then sliced into very thin slices (refer to pictures above), 2 juiced for 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of freshly-grated garlic, around 3 cloves
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of finely minced shallot, around 2 to 3 shallots
2 cups of chicken stock, unsalted (substitute unsalted chicken broth)
3 tablespoons of butter, cold and unsalted
2 tablespoons of capers, drained
1 1/4 cups of quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained well, optional
1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 (16-ounce) box of Fettuccine, optional

Instructions:
I start by preparing the chicken. Lay out the 3 chicken breasts on a meat-safe cutting board and cut them in half. Take each half and cut across lengthwise, giving you 2 cutlets per half. You’ll end up with 12 cutlets in total. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of fresh-ground black pepper. Toss all the chicken until coated with the seasoning. Set aside for 10 minutes, allowing the chicken to absorb the salt.

In the meantime, gather all the ingredients you’re going to need for the dish.

Prepare a bowl with all-purpose flour. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer the floured chicken cutlets to the rimmed baking sheet pan fitted with the wire rack. Set aside.

Next, start grating the garlic. Move on to slicing 1 lemon. Squeeze 3 tablespoons of lemon juice into a small bowl. Mince the shallots, and add the chicken stock to a measuring cup. Have the artichokes, capers, and butter ready to add to the dish when it’s time.

Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large pan. Over medium-high heat, allow the oil to come up to temperature. You’ll see the oil start to shimmer. Add half the floured chicken cutlets to the pan. It’s important to cook chicken cutlets in 2 batches. You do not want to crowd the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side before flipping, then another 3 to 4 minutes on the second side. Transfer the first batch to a large plate before repeating the process with the second batch using another 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Again, transfer the cooked cutlets and add them to the others on the plate.

In the same pan, still, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the minced shallots, stirring and scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the shallots are soft, around 2 to 3 minutes. Once softened, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Next, pour in the chicken stock, and continue scraping the bits up from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, add the lemon juice, lemon slices, and capers, and stir to combine. Simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat off.

Remove the pan from the heat before *mounting the butter. Add the pieces (3 tablespoons) of cold butter. Swirl the pan steadily, allowing the butter to emulsify slowly. 

In a large pot of boiling salted water, drop the pasta. Follow the directions on the box for cooking time. Cook until al dente.

Transfer all the chicken cutlets back into the pan, gently nestling each of them into the sauce. Arrange the artichoke hearts throughout the pan as seen above. Add the finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. Cover to keep hot.

Add the cooked pasta to the serving bowls. Add 3 cutlets to the top of each serving. Evenly distribute the sauce over each serving. Garnish with a sprig of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley on each dish. Serve immediately.

There you have it, my Chicken Piccata Over Fettuccine.

Notes:
1) If you were serving the Chicken Piccata by itself. Arrange the cooked chicken cutlets onto a large serving platter and pour all the sauce over the top.

2) *Mounting The Butter: To do this, hold the pan by the handle off the heat source and gently rotate in a circular motion to swirl the butter into the sauce. This is called “mounting” with butter. The sauce thickens and takes on a slightly velvety sheen. 

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/