Here it is, just like I promised. Beer Chicken Piccata, to go with those beer noodles I made.
The first time I ever had Piccata I was a completely broke college student traveling through Italy. And it was cheap. It turned out to be one of the most memorable dishes I had on that trip, moving it to the top of my list of Italian Favorites. If I see it on a menu, especially those family run strip mall joints that I love so much, I can’t resist ordering it.
If you are familiar with this dish, you can see that this is a pretty standard Piccata with the white wine replaced with beer. You need to choose a low hop beer with notes of citrus, an IPA will overwhelm this sauce.
Beer Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- about 1/4 cup flour for coating
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 tbs butter Plus an additional 3 tbs, divided
- 1 1/2 tbs flour
- 1/3 cup pale ale
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup capers
Instructions
- Filet each chicken breast in half horizontally, making each chicken breast thinner, not smaller. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and pound with a meat mallet or a rolling pin until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Sprinkle on all sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour until well coated.
- In a pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken and cook on each side until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan.
- In a clean pan melt the remaining butter. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbs flour and whisk until combined. Add the beer, broth and lemon juice and cook until warmed and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the capers and stir.
- Add the chicken to a plate on top of a bed of rice or pasta. Top with sauce, serve immediately.
