Chicken Piccata

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: You either love ’em or you hate ’em. For those in the latter camp, this chicken piccata recipe is here to convert you. With just a few simple steps, it’s easy to make for a weeknight dinner, but you’ll just as easily impress guests if you choose to serve it at a dinner party.

If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use a small frying pan or rolling pin to gently flatten the butterflied pieces of chicken. The real key to the best chicken piccata, though, is nailing the buttery, lemony caper sauce. Use a dry Italian white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Vermentino, and have it ready to pour into the pan the minute the garlic turns golden so that nothing burns. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then swirl in the capers and a few tablespoons of butter to create an emulsion, i.e., turn it into a rich, glossy sauce that’s as good spooned over a pile of mashed potatoes as it is soaked into the crusty chicken cutlets. Garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve alongside a classic Caesar salad with big shavings of Parmesan cheese and Garlic Confit Toast to sop up any extra chicken piccata sauce.