Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 (4 - 5 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsp. finely ground Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp. dry vermouth or white wine
- Zest of half a lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. capers
Preparation:
1. Prep and measure everything out.
2. Moisten chicken breasts, place each breast on one end of a long piece of plastic wrap, fold the wrap over so it's sandwiched, and, using a meat mallet, wine bottle, or heavy sauce pan or skillet, pound to 1/2" thickness.
3. Sprinkle each side of the breasts with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese and pat to adhere it to the chicken.
5. Dredge breasts in flour and shake off any excess.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and, when hot, add butter and swirl to melt and coat the bottom of the pan.
7. When butter just begins to brown, add chicken breasts (Note: You may have to cook the breasts separately if your skillet won't hold both, in that case, don't make the sauce until after you've cooked the second breast.)
8. Cook on one side until golden brown; 2 - 3 minutes. Turn breasts over and cook the other side for 2 - 3 minutes. Place breasts on a plate and cover with foil.
9. Add vermouth or white wine and lemon juice to skillet. Reduce, scraping up browned bits, until you only have about a tablespoon of sauce. Add capers, zest and chicken broth and reduce by half. Season with salt to taste and pour over breasts.
Note 1: Although it's generally unsafe to thaw food under hot water, an individual chicken breast will thaw in 10 - 15 minutes in a zippered bag in hot water. As long as you immediately cook the breasts this isn't a risky operation.
Note 2: Here's a tutorial on making pan sauces.
