This lovely dish was our Christmas dinner last year. It was flavorful, but not heavy, fancy but not fussy, with the added advantage of offering a simple chicken tender and pasta option for the pickiest eaters at our table.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 large lemons
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1/4 inch thick
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 minced shallot (about two tablespoons)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. capers, drained
- 3 Tbsp. butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp. minced, fresh parsley
- 6 servings cooked angel hair pasta
Instructions
- Cut one lemon in half lengthwise. Trim the ends from one half and cut across into slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Juice the remaining lemon and a half, ending with about 1/4 cup juice. Set aside.
- Mix together salt, pepper and flour. Dredge the chicken breasts in mixture.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Cook half the batch in the skillet without moving them until they are lightly browned on the first side (2 to 2-1/2 minutes). Turn and cook until the second side is lightly browned (2 to 2-1/2 minutes). Transfer to oven-safe dish and keep warm in 200°F oven.
- Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to skillet and heat. Add remaining breasts and cook the same as the first batch. Place all breaded, cooked chicken in warm oven.
- Using the pan in which you cooked the chicken, sauté shallots in leftover oil. Once shallots become translucent, add broth and lemon slices. Cook until lemons are well-softened.
- Add capers and lemon juice. Reduce to concentrate flavors. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir until it melts and thickens the sauce. Stir in parsley.
- Place 3/4 cup of angel hair on plate. Top with chicken. Spoon sauce over both the pasta and the chicken.