chicken picatta

Chicken picatta has been one of my favorite dishes to make since my husband and I got married. I've tried a couple of different recipes, and this most recent version is my favorite so far. The breaded chicken is delicious with the flavors of lemon, butter, capers, and mushrooms.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe in Cuisine at Home Magazine. The recipe is basically the same as theirs, only I bread the chicken in panko bread crumbs, and add mushrooms at the end because my husband and I both love them. Here is my version.

I N G R E D I E N T S :

4 chicken cutlets (I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and just had to cook them for a little bit longer)
salt and pepper
All purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1-2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. oil (I used vegetable)
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used cooking wine)
1 t. garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. capers, drained
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter (original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp.)
Fresh lemon slices (optional, I did not use these)
Fresh parsley

D I R E C T I O N S :

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Dip in egg and then in panko bread crumbs.

Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side. Flip the cutlets over and saute the other side 1-2 minutes, with the pan covered (If you are using chicken breasts, rather than cutlets, saute each side for a little longer-say 3-5 minutes each).

Remove chicken, and add wine and minced garlic to deglaze pan. Cook until the garlic is slightly brown and the liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Add broth, lemon juice, and capers. Return cutlets to the pan, add mushrooms, and cover. Cook on medium heat until mushrooms are tender and chicken is cooked through. At this point, I added the butter.

(The original recipe says to remove the chicken, add the butter and lemons, and then once the butter is melted, to pour the sauce over the chicken. I just added the butter, not the lemons, and left the chicken in the pan, and served it from there.)

Great served with rice and a salad!