Italian food isn't just all about pasta and tomato sauce. Much of it is
simple and rustic home-style cooking, like simple sautes and slow
braises. The recipes I like the most are both simple and elegant, such
as scaloppine, which involves cooking thin pieces of meat. All that the
word scaloppine means is thin piece of meat. Veal or chicken are
commonly used in classic recipes. The meat is breaded, fried, and then
served in a sauce, such as a piccata, which features white wine, capers,
and lemon.
What's great about a recipe like scaloppine is that it's great for
dinner for two or a large family gathering. It's a perfect dish for a
quick weeknight meal because it's fast and easy. I update the classic
recipe by replacing the breading with just Wondra flour. The low-protein
flour creates a brown exterior that's light and just thin enough so as
not to get soggy. Plus I don't add the chicken to the sauce. This way
the coating stays crisp as long as possible. Simply serve the sauce
spooned over the chicken and enjoy it right away.
Chicken Scaloppine
olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 cup dry white wine
4 thin lemon slices
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup Wondra flour
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 chicken breasts (tenderloins removed), pounded 1/2-inch thin
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan set over medium heat. Add garlic
and saute until fragrant but not brown, about 3 minutes. Pour in wine.
Add lemon slices. Raise heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5
minutes. Pour in stock and simmer until reduced by half, about 5
minutes. Season with salt. Off from heat, stir in butter until
emulsified.
Meanwhile, season flour with salt and pepper. Dust chicken with flour.
Warm a thin layer of oil in a nonstick skillet set over medium-high
heat. Add chicken and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until cooked through
and no longer pink. Plate chicken and spoon over with sauce and lemon
slices. Garnish with parsley.
Joseph Erdos is a New York–based writer and editor, butabove all a gastronomer and oenophile. He shares his passion for foodon his blog, Gastronomer's Guide , which features unique recipes and restaurant reviews among many other musings on the all-encompassing topic of food.