Chicken Piccata with Pasta

This is a recipe from Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman. It looks very good, and I thought the boys would like it too. But holy cow, did I have to make some changes. If this recipe is in her cookbook, just pull out your copy and a pen and save yourself a lot of time and hungry children by making changes now.

First, I had an issue with the cooking time Ree claims on the chicken, even with pounding to even out the breasts, I cooked mine for 6 minutes on a side (double what PW suggests) and they STILL weren't done. Call me crazy, I have issues with serving raw chicken. Just cook your chicken until done, I think I cooked mine about 8 minutes per side, then begin to reduce all that wine and broth and lemon juice, and realize that there is No Way In Hell dinner will be ready in 30 minutes.

=)

I only used 1 lemon, and I am sooooooo glad. The flavoring was perfect, tangy and delicious. I would have hated it with two whole lemons. (gee, PW, "expect a real tang" and "expect to add more broth and cream"?? why not just knock off a lemon in the beginning??) The sauce didn't really thicken up very well. Could be I was getting impatient and starving...

Number One and I loved the chicken, and I will make it again, following my adaptation. The boys were another story. I don't know if they were just full from snacking while dinner took For-Ever to cook, or if they truly didn't like it, as they claimed. I'll try to serve their leftovers tomorrow and report back I guess.



Chicken Piccata & Pasta
Adapted from Pioneer Woman's Chicken Piccata

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes (more like an hour, at least!!)
Servings: 4


4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Kosher Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Dry White Wine
¾ cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 whole Lemons (I used juice from 1 whole lemon)
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta (we were out of angel hair, I used spaghetti)

Have a pot of water simmering for the pasta.

If chicken breasts are overly thick, pound until slightly flattened. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry two of the chicken breasts at one time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; a little longer if breasts are thicker, a little shorter if breasts are thinner. (I fried mine for 6 minutes on a side, and the big ones were still raw in the middle. I'm sure I fried the breasts for about 8 minutes per side) Remove to a plate, then add the other 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil. Fry the other two breasts until golden, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn. Decrease heat as needed!

After removing the chicken, have the heat on medium to medium-low. Pour in wine and chicken broth, and squeeze in the lemon juice. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. (this takes at least 20 minutes, even raising the heat back to high)

Reduce heat to low and pour in cream. Whisk together and allow to cook for a couple of at least ten more minutes until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle in some chopped parsley and stir.

Right at the end, cook angel hair until al dente—do not overcook!

With tongs, place a medium-sized mound of pasta on a plate. Place a cooked chicken breast beside it, then spoon sauce over the chicken and the pasta. The sauce is strong, so no need to drown it. Sprinkle a little minced parsley over the top.