I usually avoid chicken. Generally I hate cooking any kind of meat because I just don’t enjoy it that much, and I usually find chicken to be pretty boring and dry when I try to cook it. I also don’t really like the texture of thick chicken breasts. I made dinner for my dad tonight and wanted to do something different than the usual pasta, so I decided to give chicken another try. And this was so good…just ask him! The lemon juice and capers add a really good zest and flavor to this, and the breading on the chicken is crispy without being too heavy. The green beans are really simple, but delicious (could have to do with the amount of butter I cooked them in…) and I would definitely make this as a meal again, possibly with some garlic bread.
Chicken Piccata and Garlic Butter Green Beans
(serves 2)
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons capers (drained and rinsed)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
- shaved parmesan cheese, to taste
- handful of chopped fresh parsley
Cook the green beans first. Start by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan with some olive oil. Here is a picture:
butter is good
Next throw in your minced garlic and green beans with some salt, pepper and 1/4 cup lemon juice and cover. Cook this on low for about 12 minutes. It really depends on how done you like your green beans. When the green beans are done to your liking sprinkle some shaved parmesan on top. Meanwhile….
Mix the flour and breadcrumbs in a bowl together with some salt and pepper. Take your chicken. If it isn’t already pounded thin (I bought chicken breasts scallopine so I didn’t have to worry about that) do that. You can do so by placing the breasts in between two sheets of plastic wrap and pounding them to a 1/4 inch thickness with a meat mallet. This could be fun if you were angry at someone.
When your chicken breasts are nice and thin, dredge them in the flour and panko mixture and set aside for 10 minutes. Make sure you get lots of the mixture on there…the more you get, the crispier it will be! After ten minutes have passed, heat one tablespoon of butter and some olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken breasts until they are done (about 4 minutes per side).
Set aside the chicken breasts on a plate and keep warm. Here is a picture of the crispy goodness:
not the average chicken breast
Next begin the sauce for the piccata. In the same pan you used for the chicken (don’t worry about clearing out the chicken drippings, they’re good too!) add the white wine, chicken broth, rest of the lemon juice, and capers. Cook this over medium heat until the sauce reduces. This should take about six minutes. Once the sauce has reduced throw in 2 tablespoons of butter (I mean, why not?) until it melts. Remove the sauce from the heat and spoon it over the chicken; be generous. Sprinkle the chicken with some parsley, plate it with the green beans and enjoy!
