Tasty Tuesday – Chicken Piccata Recipe

I’m always looking for new ways to dress up chicken (isn’t everyone?), and so when I saw Chicken Piccata pop up on Pinterest the other day, I thought “Ooh.  Maybe?”.  Her post referenced a recipe from The Pioneer Woman, whom I adore, so (after reading the comments suggesting this particular modification was not exactly a win) I popped over to check out Ree’s original recipe.

As usual, I was not disappointed.  I did make a couple of swaps, myself, but that was mainly due to the ingredients I had on hand and not wanting to have to make a special trip to the grocery.  I also marinated my chicken for most of the day before cooking, just to impart some extra flavor.  Here’s my version of her recipe.

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 3 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded roughly the same thickness

Pasta & Sauce:

• 3 T butter
• 2 T EVOO
• 1/2 T flour
• 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
• 2 C low sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 1/2 C half and half, divided
• 2 T capers
• grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb penne pasta

Instructions:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients of the marinade in a small bowl (I used a 2 C measuring cup to make pouring easier).  Place the chicken breasts in a zip-top plastic bag and pour the marinade over the chicken.  Shake gently to evenly coat each piece of chicken and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
2. When you’re ready to start preparing your meal, heat 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator (discard marinade) and place in the hot skillet.  Cook for about 4 minutes per side (Tip: Don’t keep checking the chicken!  When the chicken easily releases from the pan, it’s ready to flip.) then remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
3. Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle flour into the skillet.  Pour 1 3/4 cup of chicken broth in the skillet, gently scraping the bottom of the pan.  Add the lemon juice; whisk.  Continue cooking (the sauce should be bubbly) until it has reduced by about half.
4. Reduce heat to low; whisk in one cup of the half and half and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.  Add the capers and stir.
5. Now you taste!  The lemon is going to be very strong; depending on your personal tastes, you may need to add more half and half and broth (I used an extra 1/2 cup of half and half and an extra 1/4 cup of broth).  You’ll also want to add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove foil from chicken and slice into strips.
7. Cook the pasta until just al dente.
8. Place a bed of pasta on each serving plate; add a few chicken strips to the top of each pasta bed.  Pour sauce over the chicken and pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve.

Modified from The Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Piccata recipe.

(Note: My husband said the chicken was perfect and the sauce delicious, but suggested maybe angelhair pasta next time.  That’s what Ree’s original recipe calls for, also, so I would suggest that.  It was still very tasty with the penne, though, so if that’s all you have on hand, go for it!)