Table for Two - Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Caper Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Rather than tell you what this dish is not, I thought I'd start my post by giving this recipe a thumbs up and telling you that this chicken dish is fast, easy, and delicious. It has the added advantage of being scaled to feed just two people and it will make a great addition to your personal Table for Two recipe collection. The original recipe, a riff on Chicken Piccata, was created by Haylie Duff for her book The Real Girls' Kitchen, and while I've made a few changes to it, it stays true to her intent. The recipe makes a really special weeknight meal and you can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes, if you give some advance thought to the sides that will accompany it. I love to serve this with pilaf, and, if you start the rice before you start the chicken, they'll both be done at approximately the same time. As you read through the recipe, you'll see I use an instant blend, or quick mixing flour, for browning the cutlets as well as thickening the sauce that is used to nap them. I learned about the flour from Julia Child who suggested it be used to get that gorgeous color we often see on chops and cutlets prepared in restaurant kitchens. You can, of course, substitute all-purpose flour for the quick blending type, but it will make for more work when you go to prepare the sauce. Instant or quick blending flour is heat treated to produce a flour that can be directly added to liquids without lumping. It is a fail safe way to make gravy and sauces and its low gluten content makes it ideal for making crepes and popovers as well. Here, I use it for browning cutlets and making a thin sauce that barely naps a spoon. Save for overcooking the chicken, not much can go wrong with this recipe. I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the chicken is made.

Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Caper Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Haylie Duff - The Real Girls' Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup quick mixing flour (i.e. Wondra), divided use
2 (6-oz. each) chicken breasts, cut lengthwise to make 4 thin cutlets
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons capers or chopped green olives
1 tablespoon finely minced cloves garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half
Parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. On a flat dish, combine kosher salt, pepper, lemon pepper and 3 tablespoons flour. Coat chicken cutlets in flour mixture and place on a plate. Sprinkle half of the lemon zest over cutlets.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a fresh plate. Add garlic to skillet and saute until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds
3. In a bowl, whisk remaining 1 tablespoon flour, lemon juice, chicken broth, capers, and remaining zest until smooth. Pour sauce into skillet with drippings and whisk until combined. Cook until mixture lightly coats a spoon. Add half-and-half. Return chicken to pan and heat through, 2 minutes. To serve, spoon sauce over cutlets and garnish with parsley, if desired. Yield: 2 servings.

                    

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