Chicken Picatta is such a classic that sadly it doens’t appear on menus as much as it should. Alternatively it might be more famous for the Veal Picatta variety. It is also well known for fishes as well, especially lighter filets such as sole and flounder. These all work well as a balance of light, citrusy proteins that shine with this dish.
What is Chicken Picatta?
Chicken Picatta and its cousin Veal Picatta come from Italian origins and were famous on menus for much of the late 20th century. Although not as in vogue as previously (probably due to copious amounts of cream and butter) the dish still holds a place in the hall of fame for most enjoyed throughout fine restaurants of the last few decades. Thousands of chefs have replicated and tweaked this recipe. The older veal versions usually specified a more breaded and fried approach with a pounded and very floured steak. We modernized this and made it lighter with less breading and whole chicken breasts. More often than not, however, the basic ingredients are the same. The recipe is made with a pan sauce, by combining the drippings of the pan roasted chicken breast with wine, caper, shallot, lemon, cream, and butter mounted into these to make a silky parade of flavors.
Ingredients for The Best Chicken Picatta
The best chicken picatta sounds difficult and has many steps, but in reality it is quite simple and has few ingredients. It really just comes down to a matter of respecting the technique involved with making it. The dish’s main driver is the sauce, and it is important to get that right.
- Chicken (or veal, or white fleshed fish). These are notorious proteins as they are generally less fatty and work with lighter textures to help with the rich but elegant sauce and citrusy notes. We recommend skinless chicken breast here.
- White wine. We like to use dry whites (chefs often have a cooking chablis style wine). For this recipe we used a dry rose. Something moderate as too minerally may leave strong notes and too oakey can be a little overpowering. In the end use what you like and plan to serve with the meal. Many classic recipes also may call for Sherry or other cooking wines.
- Capers. A mandatory ingredient. Oddly enough many people who say they don’t like capers still love this dish, as they are muted with the fats from the sauce. They play a very important role in cutting into the profile of the sauce.
- Lemon. As the third string ingredient here, it adds yet another dimension to the complexity of caper, wine, and citrus. It also brings a refreshing note.
- This recipe calls for spinach, but there many other alternatives. Asparagus, broccolini, artichoke, tomato, swiss chard, spaghetti or summer squash, and pureed potatoes are just a few things that go well with this dish.
What are some good starch recommendations to serve with Chicken Picatta?
There are quite a few things that would go well if looking for a starch here. Pasta is a classic, but here are more ideas:
- Simple rices such as basmati or jasmine rice are great
- Mashed potatoes
- Farro, quinoa, barley, and other grains
- Orzo, although technically a pasta as mentioned above is perfect here
- Pearled couscous
- Roasted sweet corn puree
- Creamy polenta or grits
The best chicken picatta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chicken breast 4 eight ounce portions
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 1 each Shallot
- .5 cups White wine dry wine
- 2 tbsp Capers drained from liquid
- .5 cups Heavy cream
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Sea salt
- 8 ounces Spinach
- 1 each Lemon
- .5 tsp Black pepper ground
- 2.5 tbsp Canola oil
Instructions
- Prep and portion the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice half of the lemon very thinly. Slice the shallots about 1/4 inch.
- Dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour evenly on both sides.
- In a large saute pan, heat the canola oil over high heat. Seat the chicken breast slowly over medium heat. Flip them over when golden brown.
- Add the shallots, and place the lemon slices on top of the breasts. Place the whole pan in the oven, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Take the pan from the oven, and remove the chicken breasts and lemon onto a plate. Return the pan to the stove top and add the white wine and capers over high heat. Allow to simmer and reduce by half.
- Add the heavy cream. It should boil and simmer quickly. Allow to reduce by half until slightly thickened.
- Turn the heat off the pan, then add the butter in small amounts, slowly, while whisking to emulsify. Keep stirring to keep the sauce together.
- Squeeze the other half lemon into the sauce, while whisking. Reserve the sauce.
- Meanwhile, heat the non stick pan, and saute the spinach lightly.
- On a serving platter, arrange the spinach, then place the chicken breast over the spinach. Using a large spoon, sauce the chicken and spinach. Bon Appetit!
