Great chicken piccata!
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 2 lemons - cut into wedges for garnish
- Carbohydrate 8.0902218107633 g
- Cholesterol 147.047708333333 mg
- Fat 10.4770198626362 g
- Fiber 0.434334724827976 g
- Protein 55.7448966673354 g
- Saturated Fat 3.52543742372892 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (268g)
- Sodium 1027.72747862657 mg
- Sugar 7.65588708593532 g
- Trans Fat 1.15496342365012 g
- Calories 364 calories
Step-by-step
- Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness between plastic wrap or waxed paper. Mix egg and water. Mix bread crumbs, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat chicken with flour, dip into egg mixture and coat with bread crumb mixture.
- Heat butter or margarine and oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from skillet using tongs; keep warm.
- Stir lemon juice and wine into drippings in skillet. Heat to boiling; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges for garnish.
Traditional piccata preparations rely strictly on a flour dredge before pan-searing, but adding a crisp bread crumb layer introduces contrasting textures that hold up well against acidic pan liquids. Flattening chicken breasts uniformly to one-quarter inch ensures even cooking times across all six cutlets without drying out the leaner edges. Professional kitchens rely on specific thermal milestones and visual cues to guarantee food safety while maintaining moisture. Cooking the cutlets over medium heat in a twelve-inch skillet for eight to ten minutes per batch creates a golden crust, verified when internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit and juices run clear.
Adapting the Breading for Dietary Restrictions
Gluten-free flour blends substitute seamlessly for all-purpose flour at a one-to-one ratio during the initial dredge. Replacing standard wheat bread crumbs with crushed rice cereal or certified gluten-free panko maintains the structural crunch required for this style of cutlet. Almond flour introduces a nutty flavor profile but burns faster than grain-based alternatives, requiring a reduction in pan temperature by roughly twenty degrees to prevent acrid notes. Dairy-free adaptations succeed by substituting clarified plant-based butter alternatives into the skillet alongside neutral vegetable oil, preventing smoke point failures while retaining rich mouthfeel.Building the Pan Sauce
Deglazing the skillet immediately after protein removal captures the browned fond left on the pan surface. Boiling the combination of dry white wine and fresh lemon juice reduces the liquid rapidly, concentrating the citrus volatile compounds before pouring over the warm meat. Acidic pan sauces cut through the richness of fried poultry coatings while balancing residual fats from the cooking oils.Accompaniments and Service
Pairing this preparation with a starch like buttered egg noodles or roasted potatoes allows those side components to absorb excess pan juices efficiently. Steamed green vegetables offer a visual color contrast and a bitter vegetal note that complements the sharp lemon reduction. Garnishing immediately with chopped fresh parsley provides a bright herbal finish just before presentation.
