Chicken Piccata

I love chicken piccata.  In fact, when I came home from college and my mom would ask what I wanted for dinner during my break, I would often say, "Anything but chicken...unless it's piccata!"  Suffice it to say, I've tried lots of chicken piccata recipes and lots of restaurant versions.  But this one, from my aunt's recipe box, is by far the best I've had.  It pairs beautifully with fettuccine alfredo and broccoli steamed and tossed with pine nuts....oh, and a pinot grigio, too!

4 boneless, skinnless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 lemons, thinly sliced

3-4 tablespoons capers, drained

Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts until 1/4 inch thick.  To speed up the process, butterfly each breast before pounding.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish.    Dredge the chicken in the mixture.  Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the oil.  Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  To avoid doing this step in batches, I use a large electric skillet.

Once chicken is done, remove from skillet and tent with foil to keep warm.  Drain all but 2 tablespoons butter and oil from the skillet.  Add wine and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze.  Add lemon juice and heat through.

Return chicken to skillet and cover each piece of meat with 2 or 3 slices lemon.  Sprinkle all with capers.  Heat through.

Serve each piece of chicken over a bed of fettuccine alfredo.

Serves 4.