Chicken Piccata

Method

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Pat the cutlets dry, season, and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.

   Mark done

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high and cook in two batches, 3 minutes a side, until golden and just cooked. Set aside.

   Mark done

3. Lower the heat to medium, add 15 g of the butter and the garlic, and stir for 30 seconds.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

4. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping the base clean, until reduced by half.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

5. Add the stock and the lemon slices and simmer 4 minutes until slightly syrupy.

   Mark done

6. Stir in the lemon juice and capers and taste — it should be assertively sharp.

   Mark done

7. Take the pan off the heat and swirl in the remaining cold butter a cube at a time until glossy.

   Mark done

8. Return the chicken and its juices, turn once to coat, and scatter with parsley.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Rinse the capers. Straight from the jar they carry enough brine to oversalt the whole sauce.
• The lemon juice goes in at the end. Boiled lemon juice tastes of pith.
• Serve immediately. A butter emulsion held warm for twenty minutes will separate.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• Angel hair pasta or a plain risotto
• Steamed asparagus
• A cold Vermentino

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days, though the sauce is best fresh. Reheat gently and add a squeeze of lemon to wake it up.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.