Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken (piccata)
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make 4
2 tablespoons flour (all purpose or plain)
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Cracked pepper
For The Sauce:
Light spray of cooking oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons butter (or oil)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1¼ cup chicken broth (stock)
½ cup milk (full fat or 2% — or use reduced fat cream or heavy cream)
⅓ cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons capers (plus 2 tablespoons extra to garnish)
1 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 1 tablespoon of water
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice — juice of 1 lemon (adjust to your tastes)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Directions
Lightly spray pan/skillet with a light coating of cooking oil spray and heat over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and Parmesan cheese. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in the flour mixture; shake off excess and set aside.
Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter has melted and pan is hot. Fry the chicken until golden on each side and cooked through and no longer pink (about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer onto a warm plate.
Add the garlic to the oil in the pan (spray with a light coating of oil if needed) and fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the broth and milk (or cream). Bring the sauce to a boil; season with salt and pepper to your taste; add in the Parmesan cheese and capers and allow sauce to simmer for about 2 minutes until thicker. (If the sauce is too runny for your liking, add the cornstarch/water mixture into the center of the pan and mix through fast to combine into the sauce. It will begin to thicken immediately).
Pour in the lemon juice, allow to simmer for a further minute to combine. Add the chicken back into the pan to serve, or serve over steamed vegetables, zucchini noodles or cooked pasta with the sauce. Top with extra capers to garnish, lemon slices and parsley.
