CHICKEN WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE (POLLO CON SALSA DI CAPPERI E LIMONE) BY COREY

CHICKEN WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE (POLLO CON SALSA DI CAPPERI E LIMONE) BY COREY image

Yield 2 people

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, well-rinsed, defatted & patted dry
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. semi-dry (i.e., demisec/abboccato) white wine (I used Orvieto.)
1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 Tbsp. unbleached, all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. shallots, peeled & finely diced (about 1 large shallot)
1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, peeled & finely minced (about 2 large cloves)
1/2 Tbsp. distilled white wine (or champagne) vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. fresh oregano leaves, finely minced
1/8 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. large capers, drained, rinsed, & chopped
1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Steps:

After washing, defatting, & drying chicken cutlets, lay them onto a non-porous (i.e., silicone) cutting board or other smooth, clean surface. Cover chicken with plastic wrap, and tenderize by pounding flat with the bumpy (i.e., waffle-patterned) side of meat mallet to a uniform thickness of about 1/4". After chicken has been tenderized, cut each piece crosswise into halves (or thirds, if you prefer). In a large 12-13" nonstick sauté pan, sauté chicken in 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil on medium-low heat until golden brown & slightly crispy around the edges (but still moist & tender on the inside), about 2-3 minutes per side. (Tenderized chicken cooks much faster because it's thinner & has more exposed surface area after it's been tenderized.) With about a minute of cooking to go, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Transfer to two plates & set aside. Keep chicken warm by covering with foil or using some other method (i.e., a chafing dish, warm/heated plates, etc.). Reduce heat to low. In the same pan, melt butter & stir in flour to form a light & frothy paste (i.e., a "roux"). Add remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil & sauté shallots for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add garlic & cook for an additional 2 minutes, until tender. (Shallots should be soft and the garlic should be on the verge of turning a light golden brown.) Then deglaze pan with wine & vinegar, scraping off the fond from the bottom of the pan as the liquid evaporates. Quickly stir in thyme, oregano, parsley, & ground black pepper, & reduce the sauce to about 1/2 of its original volume, continuing to stir & simmer until thickened. In the final 30 seconds of cooking, add capers & lemon zest (if using), & then remove from heat. (This will basically just heat the capers through without drying them out.) Pour sauce over each serving of chicken. Garnish each portion with additional fresh chopped parsley & lemon slices, & serve.