Chicken Piccata

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Halve 1 medium lemon crosswise. Juice one half (you should have about 2 Tbsp. juice); thinly slice remaining half and remove seeds. Set juice and slices aside separately.

   Step 2

   Place ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour in a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, place 4 small skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6-oz. each) between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a rolling pin (this works faster than a meat mallet) to about ¼" thick. Season all over with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess; place on a plate.

   Step 3

   Heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Working in 2 batches and adding more oil between batches if needed, cook chicken breasts until golden underneath, about 4 minutes. Turn over and cook on other side until nearly cooked through, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

   Step 4

   Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to same pan. Add 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and 3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped drained capers and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 1–2 minutes. Add 1 cup dry white wine and simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes.

   Step 5

   Increase heat to medium-high and add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or 1 cup water mixed with 1 tsp. chicken bouillon paste, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; season with more pepper. Cook, stirring often, until butter is melted and sauce is combined, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved lemon juice, then return chicken to pan. Cook, spooning sauce over chicken, until completely cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add lemon slices to pan and remove pan from heat. Top with chopped parsley just before serving.