Classic Lemon Chicken Scallopini

By William Gallagher, Becco's, NYC

Ingredients:

2 lemons
4 chicken cutlets, pounded thinly into scaloppini
Salt and pepper
Flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled
16 caper berries
10 large green olives
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

 

Directions:

Squeeze the juice from one and a half lemons and reserve. Cut the remaining half lemon into very thin slices. Remove seeds and set the lemon slices aside.
Season the chicken scaloppini with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, coating both sides, and tap the excess flour off. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add as many scaloppini into the pan that will fit without touching, and cook until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes. Flip and cook second side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove scaloppini and drain on paper towel.

When done with the scaloppini, wipe off the fat from the skillet with paper towels. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, butter, garlic, and lemon juice and slices to the skillet. Cook, scraping the bottom until garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set aside. Add the caper berries and olives and cook, stirring gently for about 4 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to a boil. Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and boil until slightly syrupy. Return the scaloppini to the skillet and coat each piece in the sauce. Add parsley and swirl into sauce.

Divide scaloppini onto separate plates. Spoon the sauce over, and add the caper berries and olives around scaloppini. Add some of the spinach on the side. Finish by decorating each plate with reserved lemon slices on top of the scaloppini.