Chicken Piccata Recipe with Fried Capers

Chicken Piccata is one of those classic dishes that are relatively easy to master, quick to prepare, and always tastes great. This recipe from my current favorite cookbook, Fine Cooking Annual, caught my eye because the chicken wasn't dredged in flour, and it called for a very minimal amount of butter compared to many recipes I've seen for this dish. But what really sold me on trying it was the fried capers.

Chinese cooking involves "seasoning the oil" where garlic and ginger are fried briefly in hot oil before you add other ingredients. Here I think frying the capers in olive oil before you brown the chicken takes Chicken Picatta to a whole new level.

Capers are not berries as many people think, but the unopened green flower buds of the Capparis spinosa. They have an astringent sharp flavor, and are used a lot in Mediterranean cooking. Capers must be picked by hand, which makes them expensive. According to Wikipedia, capers are sorted and sold by their size, with the smallest ones being considered the best. They are sold pickled or salted, and both types should be rinsed. The pickled fruits of the same plant are known as caper berries, and have a more intense flavor.

Read more about capers at The Perfect Pantry, where Lydia does such a great job of helping learn more about the ingredients we're using.

Chicken Piccata with Fried Capers
(Makes 2-3 servings, but could easily be doubled. Recipe adapted slightly from Fine Cooking Annual.)

2 or 3 very large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T nonpareil capers (or less if you don't love capers like I do)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to season chicken
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (optional, not in the original recipe)
1 clove crushed garlic or about 1/8 tsp. garlic puree
1/2 cup homemade chicken stock (or use canned chicken broth, but be sure it's low sodium)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Splenda or honey (use Splenda for South Beach Diet)
1 T butter, cut up (original recipe called for 2 T, but I thought 1 T was plenty)
1 T chopped fresh parsley

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts. Cut each one in half to make two pieces about the same size. One at a time, put pieces inside a heavy ziploc bag and pound chicken to make it an even 1/2 inch thick. Season chicken with a small amount of salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning if using. Chop parlsey and set aside.

Rinse the capers and pat dry with paper towels. In a 10-inch nonstick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add capers and fry until they open slightly and crisp a little, took 60-90 seconds for me. Remove pan from heat and use a spoon to transfer capers to paper towel, letting the oil drip back into pan.

Get oil hot again, then saute chicken on top side until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn over and cook on other side until chicken is done, probably only 1-2 minutes on the second side. Arrange chicken on serving dish with browned side facing up. (You can cover them to keep warm if you want, but I didn't and they were fine.)

While chicken browns, measure out chicken stock, garlic, butter, and lemon juice so they are ready. Add garlic to hot pan and saute 15-30 seconds. Add chicken stock, and scrape pan to dissolve browned bits. Cook until stock is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and Splenda or honey, then turn off heat and add butter, stirring until butter is melted. Add half of capers and parsley to sauce, then pour sauce over chicken, garnishing with remaining capers.

South Beach Suggestions:
Even though butter is not recommended for the South Beach Diet, I think the small amount of butter here is important for flavor. You could use something like Smart Balance spread if you feel strongly about it. Even with the butter, I would eat this for any phase of the South Beach diet. For phase one, this would taste great with Mary's Perfect Salad and Roasted Asparagus with Garlic. For phase two or three you could replace the salad with Brown and Wild Rice with Pine Nuts and Thyme.

Look What Else Tastes Great with Capers:
(some may not be South Beach Friendly, check ingredients)
Baked Fillet of Akaroa Salmon with Capers, Chives, and Sweet Chili Sauce from Bron Marsmall
Cauliflower with Pancetta, Capers, and Parmesan from A Veggie Venture

Sweet Tomatoes Stuffed with Bell Peppers, Zucchini, Capers, and Couscous from Lucullian Delights
Savory Rugelach with Olives, Onions, and Capers from Toast
Chicken Liver Crostini from Becks and Posh
Fig and Black Olive Tapenade from David Lebovitz
Patricia Wells Fricasee of Chicken with White Wine, Capers and Olives from French Kitchen in America
Persian Spiced Halloumi from Gastronomy Domine
Beef Carpaccio from Cooking Diva

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