Lover's Chicken: Fall-Apart, Melt in your Mouth, Lemon, White Wine Chicken

Many have stated, "this is THE BEST chicken I have ever had!"

At the age of 23, I am very lucky to have all four of my grandparents still living…and all in NY for that matter!  My grandparents taught me a lot about life, love, hard work and of course FOOD. Some of my fondest memories are of my family sitting shoulder to shoulder at the dinner table, listening to beautiful stories from my grandparent’s past.  My grandmother Anita will not only shower you with kisses and compliments, she will shower you with some of the most delicious food you will ever consume!  Since my family lived just 12 minutes away from their house, we would often have “meals on wheels,” (as my Grandma Anita called it).  If my parents were working late, you better believe Grandma Anita was waiting for us at the house with a stove full of food.  A scent that will forever remind me of my amazing Grandmother is the smell of Chicken Picata; butter, lemon, and herbs cooking down slowly into a sauce that may as well be liquid gold.  Since I have watched my Grandma Anita and my mother cook this dish countless times over the past 23 years, I have decided to put my own twist on the family recipe, and share it with my readers of course. The most common phrase that comes out of my friend’s mouths when I make this dish for them is “this is THE BEST chicken I have ever had in my life”…so you really can’t go wrong!

 

Feeds 2-3 People

Ingredients- 

  1. 1.75 Pounds of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (If they are super Thick, butterfly them (cut them in half )

  2. 2 Eggs

  3. Seasoned Breadcrumbs (I love 4C brand) (You should only need about 2 cups or so)

  4. 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  5. 3 Tablespoons of Shallots (chopped)

  6. 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced (medium size) (about 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic but you should use fresh)

  7. 2 Tablespoons of Unsalted Butter

  8. 1.5 Packets of Instant Chicken Bouillon (Herb Ox is my favorite brand) If you can’t find the powder use 1½ Chicken Bouillon Cubes

  9. 1.5 Cups of very hot water or boiling water

  10. The juice of 1.5 lemons

  11. ½ Cup White Wine (Any dry white wine)

  12. ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

  13. A pinch of salt (if necessary! The bouillon is salty so do not over salt..taste it first!)

  14. 3 Tablespoons of Fresh Parsley Chopped

Steps-

  1. Beat the eggs in a bowl and pour the breadcrumbs in a separate dish

  2. Dip the chicken cutlets in the egg and then the breadcrumbs and make sure they are fully coated.

  3. Put the Olive Oil in a deep nonstick skillet (about 3 inches high or so) (or a ceramic dutch oven) on the stove and heat on medium heat.

  4. When the oil is hot and sizzles if you drop a piece of breadcrumb in it, fry each piece of chicken on each side just until they are golden brown. You do not want to cook them all the way through, but you do want to create a nice crust on the outside. Once the chicken is browned remove from the pan and set aside on the counter. (click the picture to see the chicken at this stage)

  5. Put the butter in the same pan where the chicken was and let it melt on medium/low heat. (do not wash the pan, you want the chicken drippings in it)

  6. Put the chopped shallots and garlic in the pan with the butter and sauté until they soften and get slightly translucent.

  7. Place the chicken back in the pan with the shallot mixture.

  8. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the 1.5 cups of boiling water, and stir the chicken bouillon into it so that it dissolves and turns into a chicken stock.

  9. Pour the stock over the chicken.

  10. Pour the lemon juice and wine in with the chicken

  11. Sprinkle in the black pepper and half of the parsley

  12. Cover the pan and let the chicken simmer on low heat for about 1 to 1 ½ hours. You want the chicken to stew in the liquid until it breaks apart easily with a fork...no knives needed!

  13. Remove the lid and reduce the liquid down until it is thick like a turkey gravy. You will reduce the liquid by about half or a little more.

  14. Once it is reduced down, sprinkle the remaining chopped parsley over the top and you are ready to eat!

  15. Serve with pureed cauliflower (mock-mashed potatoes), mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes and a green vegetable of your choice.

Dinner, Entertaining, Family SecretsDanielle Sepsy3 Comments