Chicken Piccata

by Ina Garten cooked by Elise

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups seasoned dried bread crumbs (Elise used Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
• good olive
• 3 tbsps. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• sliced lemon for serving
• chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it out to 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Mix the flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper on a shallow plate.  In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tbsp. water together.  Place the bread crumbs on a third plate.  Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread-crumb mixtures.  Heat 2 tbsps.  olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat.  Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for2 minutes on each side, until browned.  Place them on the sheet pan while you cook the rest of the chicken.  Heat more olive oil in the saute pan and cook the second 2 chicken breasts.  Place them on the same sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.  For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel.  On medium heat, melt 1 tbsp. of the butter and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tbsps. of butter and swirl to combine.  Discard the lemon halves.  Serve one chicken breast on each plate, spoon on the sauce, andserve with sliced lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Dad and I were very, very satisfied with this dish.  The lemon woke up our taste buds but not in a sour way but in a very savory way like nothing I've ever tasted before.  Dad said he could eat this every day.  We're thinking it would also taste good in a sandwich!! m-m-m-m-m-m  Kudos to Elise!!!  Great job!!!