The Great Chicken Caper

As I rose to consciousness this morning, there was one thing on my mind - capers. I could taste their vinegary/salty explosion as I bit down on an imaginary mouthful of them. Butter. Next came the butter. Capers and butter... I still hadn't opened my eyes. As a food-obsessed person, I frequently find myself either dreaming about or waking up with food somewhere in my thoughts. This most recent incident happened just a couple of minutes ago so it's still very fresh in my mind. So capers...and butter.... But there's more! Lemons! Oh how I love lemons! Capers and butter and lemons - oh my! Not much I could do at this point but rummage around for my favorite chicken piccata recipe to share with you. And share I will, but first a word (or two) about capers. Capers are the immature buds from a bush indigenous to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. California has started producing them as well. The kind I favor are about the size and shape of peas. The buds are dried and brined in vinegar. If you've never had capers before, the first encounter is rarely love at first taste (at least it wasn't for me). My relationship with capers began...I'm not sure when. I do remember, however that it was not a quick-love process. It was more like meeting someone who was kind of interesting but not what you would call drop-dead gorgeous. Someone you didn't want to be with all the time but found yourself referring back to in the quiet moments of your day. There were many chance encounters before I found myself becoming the pursuer. And pursue I did. The way to a real man's heart - at least in the Italian section of Boston known as the North End - is to ask him to show you his capers. I became an expert on capers through the generosity and shared obsession of these Italian vendors. While you could take a trip to Boston to get the same education, you can also simply go to the supermarket and pick up a couple of bottles and taste-test them yourself. Straight out of the bottle is NOT the way to eat them. They are very salty and need to be rinsed first (I speak from experience). While waitressing, many years ago, I was asked by a patron to describe what capers tasted like. I did a passionate, animated wiggle to express my love - but no words came out. When words did finally erupt from my mouth, they came out in this order 'THEY TASTE LIKE AMAZINGLY GOOD, REALLY FLAVORFUL DIRT!' Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, caper industry. I really do love you, I just didn't know how to articulate it at the time. I will try to make amends by sharing the following recipe with everyone...

From a previous post, you will know that I am not a chicken lover. I don't really care at all about chicken. It's sort of like an edible spoon for me to eat sauces from. I have made many different versions of chicken piccata in my life, but this one by Giada De Laurentis is quick, easy and fairly flawless.

Yield: 4 servings

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tbsp unsalted butter

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter with 3 tbsp olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tbsp butter and add another 2 tbsp olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tbsp butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Wilted spinach and brown rice add nice texture and flavor to round out this meal. Chicken piccata is an elegant meal that can be made faster than hamburgers on the grill. Who knew?

5 happy sets of thumbs up!