Creamy Chicken Piccata with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This dish is inspired by a plate a food I used to eat all of the time in San Antonio at Paesano’s 1604 location. Yes, I ordered a CHICKEN dish at an Italian restaurant. It’s shocking, I know. But it is that good! The chicken is super moist and the breading and the lemon and salty capers omg it is just so good. I serve mine over mashed potatoes but it would be delicious with some fettuccine as well! This only makes two large breasts, so if you need to make more just double up on everything!

Chicken:

what you need:

• 2 large chicken breasts, fat trimmed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon shallot, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/4 cup capers
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, for serving
• Lemon slices, for serving

what you need to do:

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
• Line a medium cookie sheet with foil and set aside.
• Using a mallet or even a wine bottle, pound out your chicken breasts until they are somewhat flat and even. Doing this ensures an evenly cooked chicken breast, this is the most important thing you can do when cooking chicken!!!!
• Generously season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Grab two large shallow bowls (I use 8″ cake pans) and in one bowl: add the egg and whisk it very well, and in the second bowl: mix the flour and parmesan cheese together.
• We are going to “dredge” the chicken aka bread it. So using tongs, grab one piece of chicken and dip it into the egg mixture, then turn over and dip the other side. This creates a binder for the flour to stick to the chicken.
• Next, move the chicken into the flour bowl and move it and press down to make sure the flour sticks. Turn over and coat the other side.
• Repeat this for the other chicken breast.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat your olive oil on medium heat. Test the oil by flicking some water into the oil, if it sizzles and bubbles, it is ready.
• Place the chicken breasts into the pan of oil and fry for about 7 – 8 minutes, or until it is brown and crispy. Flip the breasts over and fry for an additional 5 minutes. You want both sides to be browned and crispy, but be careful not to flip it too many times. I used a meat thermometer to test the doneness, and you want it to reach about 160 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken breast.
• When breasts are done, move them to the cookie sheet lined with foil and place in the oven. Turn the oven off when you put them in. We do not want to bake them we just want to keep them warm while we make the sauce.
• Now, go back to your pan, and grab a whisk and break up all of the crispy bits from the frying, and add in the butter on low-medium (about a 4) heat.
• Once butter melts, add in the shallots. Cook for about 3 – 4 minutes, or until the shallots are softened and slightly browned. Add in the garlic and cook an additional 2 – 3 minutes.
• Add in your chicken stock and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Once the it starts to bubble add in the heavy cream and whisk to combine.
• Add in the capers and cook an additional 2 – 3 minutes.
• The capers are very salty so you really do not need to add in any more salt, but taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings with more salt or pepper if needed.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and place in the sauce. Let simmer in the sauce for a few minutes and then plate over the mashed potatoes, spooning the sauce over the top. Sprinkle on some parsley and top with a lemon slice!

Mashed Potatoes:

what you need:

• 1 lb golden potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt
• Pepper

what you need to do:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add in potatoes and cook until you can pierce with a fork and they crumble and are cooked thoroughly.
• Drain the potatoes, place them in a large bowl, and then return the pot to the heat. Add in the milk, butter, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Let the milk simmer for about 5 – 7 minutes or until the butter has melted and the garlic has softened. Stir frequently and make sure the milk does not burn or scald.
• Remove the garlic from the milk and using a fork, mash it until it forms a paste. Add it back to the milk and butter and whisk to combine.
• Grab the bowl of potatoes, and using either a fork, hand mixer, or potato masher, begin to mash the taters. Pour in a bit of the milk mixture and continue to mash, adding a little bit of the milk mixture at a time until the potatoes reach your desired consistency. You may or may not use all of the milk mixture, just depending on your potatoes and your preference.
• Add in salt and pepper to your taste. I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• I like mine a bit chunky so this is how I mash them. You are more than welcome to use a potato ricer if you prefer a super creamy mashed potato.