This week's recipe for Barefoot Bloggers is Chicken Piccata from Ina Garten's book, Barefoot Contessa At Home, chosen by Lindsey of Noodle Nights and Muffin Mornings. Right off the bat, I have to admit that I am a big fan of Chicken Piccata. I've been making my own version for almost as long as I've been cooking, but I'm always willing to try a new one. Ina's appears to be straight forward, as are most of her recipes. In this case though, it may lack the depth and finesse I expect from Chicken Piccata.
I adapted the instructions by using panko in place of regular bread crumbs, using just a little less lemon juice, and adding little more butter. I also added capers to the sauce, because I love capers with Chicken Piccata. Having made my own version so many times, I have learned that a little lemon juice usually goes a long way. And that would be my major observation with Ina's version -- too much lemon juice, even if you make three chicken breasts, reduce the lemon juice a little as I did, and add more butter to give a richer finish to the sauce. I also felt like the flavor just didn't linger on my palate as long as I would have liked -- except for that lemon pucker!
So, I think I'll be going back to my own Chicken Piccata recipe from now on. If I made this one again, I would most definitely deglaze the pan with the wine and then add a splash of lemon juice -- maybe a teaspoon to start -- before adding more butter. I'd also use the panko again and add a bit of butter with the olive oil to brown the chicken breasts. Those changes would tweak the recipe, without altering the intent. It's not bad -- it's just not as good as mine.
9 comments:
I agree with your review of the recipe. I only used one lemon and I had to add more butter and wine to the sauce to cut the tartness. I think it needed capers too. It was still a good recipe but definitely room for improvement.
Thanks for participating this week! Piccata is one of my favorite dishes but this was my first time making it at home. I would love to try your recipe for my next attempt!
Yes, my sauce was way too tart! I liked this, but have had versions I liked better, also.
i would love to try this with panko. great idea.
I love chicken piccatta - the panko sound interesting. I like it very simple and served over some thin spaghetti or linguine.
Would you be willing to share your recipe with us?
Thanks!
lreyno5 -
Just click the link in the text where Chicken Piccata is in red and it will take you to the recipe on the Food Network website. Thanks for looking!
lyreno5 -
Oh! You mean my own recipe! Duh! It's just a general recipe after years of making it, but I'll give it a whirl:
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 c. flour
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
2 +/- eggs, beaten
1/4 c. milk
2 c. breadcrumbs (or panko)
3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. white wine
1-2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. flour
3/4 c. chicken broth/water
1 - 2 tbsp. small capers
Pound chicken breasts to uniform thickness to cook evenly. Take out three flat bowls or pans. Place flour, salt & pepper, and nutmeg in first bowl. Place beaten egg and milk in second bowl. Place breadcrumbs/panko and parmesan cheese in third bowl. Place olive oil and/or butter in a large skillet and heat to medium. While pan heats, dip chicken breasts, one at a time, in flour mixture, then in egg mixture, then in breadcrumb mixture and place in pan. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts, but don't crowd pan. Cook until golden brown on one side and turn to brown second side - about 4 minutes on a side. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve. Deglaze pan with white wine and lemon juice. Whisk in small amount of flour. Add water and/or chicken broth to thicken slightly. Add capers and remove from heat. Adjust seasoning with salt and/or lemon juice to taste. Serve with sauce over chicken or in a dish to sauce as desired.
Yes...thank you very much! Can't wait to try it.
Post a Comment