Chicken Piccata

Okay, so this probably isn't a very authentic version of chicken piccata.  It's sort of a cross between chicken piccata and chicken scaloppine.  But, for lack of a better name, I picked chicken piccata.

It made me feel Italian to call it that.

So you can call it whatever you want, as long as you call it.  Or make it.

Whatever.  It's late at night and my brain has already gone to bed but my body is sitting at the computer typing.

So what I'm telling you is that I'm not responsible for what I type.  And that's the bottom line.

Start with chicken breasts, and mine were a little uneven (as are all chicken breasts) so I pounded them to a uniform thickness.  You don't want them too thin - just even.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and saute it on both sides until it's golden brown.  You don't need to cook it through at this point because we're going to simmer it in the sauce in a minute.

When the chicken is golden, take it out of the pan.  Add the other tablespoon of olive oil and butter and saute the mushrooms and garlic.

Sprinkle in some flour to thicken the sauce.  Pour in some chicken broth and add salt and pepper.  Bring it to a boil and return the chicken to the sauce.

When the chicken is cooked, it's time to add the capers, parsley, lemon juice and half-and-half.

Yum!  This sauce is so delicious.  Tangy from the lemon, creamy from the half-and-half and the mushrooms and capers add great texture and flavor.

When you serve, nest some pasta on the plate, place the chicken next to it, and spoon plenty of sauce on top.

Life's all about the sauce.

And everything I make these days has lemon in it.  I. Can't. Get. Enough.

Chicken Piccata
Inspired by Pioneer Woman and Barefoot

1 T olive oil
4 chicken breasts, pounded to a uniform thickness
Salt & pepper
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
12 oz. mushrooms (use a mixture of white button and cremini), sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 T capers
2 T chopped Italian parsley
Juice from one lemon
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 pound angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions
Grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken.  Saute the chicken over medium heat until brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.  The chicken will not be cooked through.  Remove it and put it on a plate.

Heat another tablespoon of olive oil with the butter in the same skillet.  Saute the mushrooms and garlic for about 8 minutes, until tender.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir, cooking for another minute.  Stir in the chicken stock, salt and pepper.  Return the chicken to the sauce and and simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Stir in the capers, parsley, lemon juice and half-and-half.  Remove from the heat and serve the chicken with the pasta and plenty of mushrooms and sauce.