Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts
In my book, "The Essence of Shade", a friend of Shade's serves Chicken Piccata when Shade comes to visit. This is an elegant, light recipe, enhanced with artichokes, capers and a hint of lemon. I've made this ahead for large crowds by sautéing the chicken breasts the day before, then adding them to the sauce to simmer until warm. Delicious!
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken breasts pounded to 1/4 inch thick
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 TBSP. unsalted butter divided
- 2 TBSP. olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 TBSP. capers
- 1 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts in water
Instructions
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Pound the chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick and remove all fat. Sprinkle breasts with salt and pepper on each side, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a large frying pan. When heated, add the chicken breasts and cook for about 5 minutes on each side over medium heat. (This step may need to be done in two batches to avoid over-crowding the pan.) Remove the chicken from the pan and drain on paper towels. (This step can be done a day ahead by refrigerating the cooked breasts overnight.)
To the drippings in the pan, add the lemon juice, chicken stock, capers and artichoke hearts, scraping up any brown bits. Return the cooked chicken to the pan and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the sauce and place on a platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the sauce and stir until melted. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.