Chicken Breasts with Lemon Caper Sauce
Such an easy recipe for the weeknight and loaded with fresh citrus-y flavor. I serve with polenta and roasted asparagus.
Such an easy recipe for the weeknight and loaded with fresh citrus-y flavor. I serve with polenta and roasted asparagus.
- Carbohydrate 2.86184000018034 g
- Cholesterol 68.44 mg
- Fat 41.0140766681457 g
- Fiber 0.451700004427433 g
- Protein 27.6893766667537 g
- Saturated Fat 5.85282133354177 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (194g)
- Sodium 438.717500109342 mg
- Sugar 2.41013999575291 g
- Trans Fat 1.48306000004879 g
- Calories 489 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the raw chicken breasts in between two pieces of saran wrap and pound into two uniformly thin slices. Lightly salt and pepper each side and set aside.
- Chop the capers and set aside.
- Combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, equal amount of olive oil, chopped shallots, dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Blend together using a handheld immersion blender. Set aside.
- Place a 12 or 15 inch heavy skillet on medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and cook until nicely browned on one side without moving (approximately 3 minutes), turn and allow to brown on other side another few minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low, cover and allow chicken to cook through another 5 - 8 minutes depending on thickness of meat. Do not overcook! When chicken is cooked through, remove from the pan, cover with foil and set aside to rest.
- While chicken is resting, let the skillet cool down by removing from heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Once skillet is cooled to warm, gradually add about 1/3 to 1/2 the sauce (use your judgement, you could add all the sauce, I like to have additional sauce to pour over the dish as it is served, the sauce is also delicious on veggies or salad) to deglaze the pan, scrapping up browned bits of chicken and crust as you go. Add the capers. Stir around in the pan. Cut each chicken breast into thirds and add to the pan, along with any juices from the chicken. Stir, coating each piece of chicken in the sauce. Remove the chicken and sauce to serving dish or plate individually.
Crisp-edged chicken pieces coated in a glossy, pungent Meyer lemon and caper emulsion deliver sharp acidity backed by rich olive oil. Repurposing these cutlets for subsequent meals requires specific storage and reheating mechanics. Stored in an airtight container within the refrigerator, cooked poultry remains safe for up to four days. Reheating demands caution because lean white meat dries out rapidly under direct heat. Submerging the sliced meat in remaining sauce inside a covered skillet over low heat for three minutes gently warms the protein without toughening the muscle fibers. Alternatively, cold slices chopped finely mix seamlessly into grain bowls or leafy greens without requiring thermal reheating at all.
Judging Doneness Without a Thermometer
Visual cues reliably indicate internal doneness when probing tools are absent. Pressing the center of each cutlet yields a firm resistance once fully cooked, contrasting with the soft, spongy give of raw poultry. Slicing directly into the thickest portion reveals opaque white meat completely free of translucent pink streaks. Retaining juiciness depends entirely on avoiding the grey, chalky texture that signals overcooked protein.Adjusting Emulsion Ratios
Blending the sauce components requires precise physical technique. Using an immersion blender forces the lemon juice and olive oil into a stable temporary suspension through high-shear agitation. Substituting standard grocery lemons for Meyer lemons alters the acidity profile significantly, requiring a pinch of sugar to balance the sharper citric bite. Whisking extra virgin olive oil gradually into the citrus juice guarantees proper droplet dispersion, preventing immediate separation in the mixing vessel.
