Name: Chicken piccata
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 boneless chicken breast (cut in half horizontally to make 4); 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to season flour); 3 tbsp olive oil; 3 tbsp butter; 2 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly or minced); 1/4 cup white wine ((or vermouth)); 1/2 juice of a lemon juice ((*you could add the other half into the dish as slices when cooking the sauce)); 1/3 cup cup low-sodium chicken broth; 2 tbsp capers; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

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Your midweek meal saviour or easy weekend dish

Italian simplicity is at the core of this chicken piccata recipe.

PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOKING TIME: 20 mins
DIFFICULTY: easy
IDEAL FOR: midweek meal, crowd-please, family
BUDGET: £

WINE PAIRING TIP: Suzie (Michael Sutton’s Cellar) has given me two lovely, pretty inexpensive white wines to go with this simple, tasty dish.

First up, an easy going Sauvignon blend from the South-West of France called Tariquet Classic (£8.00).

Or if you want a bit more acidity to take on those capers, try this Gavi (£13.50) – pictured with the dish.

Quality means flavour

I love chicken, it’s so versatile.

You can whole roast, fry, (deep-fry!), stir-fry, marinade, barbecue, put it into a pie, curry, quiche…

The list goes on…

But whatever dish you’re making, always go for an organic (and/or) free-range chicken.

And know where it’s come from.

The Italians always use the best, seasonal produce, that’s the key to their food… in season, local.

And, yes, I understand it can be more expensive.

But I’d argue that not only are you getting a much better quality, flavoursome, healthier chicken.

You’re also supporting a hard-working farmer who cares about his animals.

And made a decision to ensure good animal welfare.

So, surely, that’s worth a little more from our wallets?

But actually, this little dish is all about value due to the piccata method used.

What is piccata?

Piccata is an Italian culinary term meaning ‘to pound flat’.

You gently flatten meat to make thin slices (traditionally veal).

Which are then coated in flour, sautéed, and served in a lemon and butter sauce

In Italy, veal piccata is considered as a secondi (second course), served after the primi course.

Chicken piccatas’ Italian roots

Chicken piccata is best known in Milan, Italy.

Sometimes it’s called piccata milanese or chicken milanese.

Piccata Milanese

This is the typical Milanese style – serve the meat with a tomato sauce and pasta.

Veal scaloppine Piccata

Scaloppine means a thinly sliced cut of meat.

Then the veal is coated in wheat flour, sautéed, then heated and served a caper and lemon sauce.

Although, sometimes, you’ll find it served with a tomato or wine sauce.

What to serve with chicken piccata?

It’s really up to you and what’s in the cupboard.

But serving it with pasta is a good option.

And keeps life simple.

Or you could try egg noodles, mashed potatoes, polenta, couscous, greens, salad…

There are no real boundaries here.