This Italian favorite takes simple ingredients and turns them into a beautiful meal. Zesty lemon sauce sets off golden chicken cutlets in a pairing that is unforgettable. Serve on a bed of your favorite pasta—spaghetti, fettuccine and linguine all work well.
| Pasta | ||
| 1 | pound | cooked pasta |
| ~ | olive oil | |
| ~ | salt | |
| ~ | pepper | |
| Chicken Cutlets | ||
| 3 | 8-ounce | boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed* |
| ~ | salt | |
| ~ | pepper | |
| ~ | flour, for dredging | |
| 2 | tablespoons | butter |
| 2 | tablespoons | vegetable oil |
| Lemon-Caper Sauce | ||
| 1/2 | teaspoon | crushed garlic |
| 1/2 | cup | chicken stock** |
| 6 | thin slices of lemon | |
| 2–3 | tablespoons | lemon juice, freshly squeezed |
| 3 | tablespoons | capers, drained and rinsed well*** |
| 3 | tablespoons | butter, room temperature |
| 1/4 | cup | chopped flat leaf parsley, divided |
*This equals 1½ pounds of meat.
**Homemade stock is best but canned low-sodium stock is a good substitute.
***Capers are the unripe, dark green buds of a small, spiny shrub that grows in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern areas. Their buds are sun-dried then brined in vinegar to produce a pungent flavoring for sauces and condiments. Find them in supermarkets, kitchen stores and online.
Pasta
- Toss cooked pasta with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to assemble the dish.
Chicken Cutlets
- Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally.
- Pound the meat to a ¼-inch thickness using a flat-sided mallet, taking care not to over-pound the meat.
- Season cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides. Move to a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2–4 hours or overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator and bring cutlets to room temperature.
- Blot the cutlets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Cover a plate with flour for dredging.
- Dredge each cutlet in the flour, shaking to remove excess.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until they begin to sizzle.
- Working in batches, fry 3–4 cutlets at a time until golden, approximately 3 minutes. Turn the meat over and fry for another 2–3 minutes or until cooked through. Adjust heat to prevent burning.
- Remove the cutlets and keep warm in a low oven.
- Add a bit more oil to the skillet and repeat the process until all cutlets are cooked.
Lemon-Caper Sauce
- Using the same skillet, adjust heat to medium and sauté garlic until softened. Adjust heat to prevent burning.
- Pour ¼ cup of chicken stock into the skillet and deglaze the pan. Add the remaining stock and stir well.
- Add lemon slices and bring sauce to a lively simmer. Reduce sauce to 1/3 cup, approximately 4 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in lemon juice, keeping a lively simmer.NOTE: Add only two tablespoons of lemon juice if you want a more subdued lemon flavor.
- Add capers.
- Remove skillet from heat and whisk in butter.
- Stir in half of the parsley.
- Taste sauce and add salt and pepper if required.
NOTE: The cutlets are well seasoned and the sauce usually does not require additional seasoning.
Assembly
- Remove chicken from the warming oven.
- Plate with cutlets on a bed of pasta.
- Spoon lemon-caper sauce over the chicken cutlets.
- Sprinkle with parsley and decorate with a cooked lemon slice, serving immediately.
