Chicken Piccata

I love a good, easy chicken dish.

And, this one - Chicken Piccata - is one of the best I've made in a long time. The lemon flavor, combined with the rich, buttery, wine sauce is really delicious.

If you wanted to serve this to company, you could make the chicken in advance, and keep it heated in a 200 degree oven. Then, when it is time to serve dinner, you could make the sauce, and top off the chicken.

I love those kinds of meals - makes it easy for this Momma to have dinner mostly ready when my hubby gets home - and then serve it hot after the "Welcome home, Daddy" wrestling match is complete.

I served this with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes (see below). It was a great combination.

Chicken Piccata
recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa At Home...

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 tablespoon water
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

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

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg, followed by bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves (and remove any seeds) and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.