Chickens Capering To-and-Fro - Chicken Piccata

Spring has sprung, though the rain has begun.  That means that it's time for a springy type recipe.  I can think of nothing quite so bright and sunny as the flavor of lemon mixed with the pungent green bite of capers.  So, I chose to make Piccata sauce.  It's one of the pan sauces I go cuckoo for.

Piccata, in it's simplest form, is a Lemon, Wine, Butter and Parsley pan sauce, usually served over Veal Scallopini (thinly sliced veal that has been dredged in flour and fried in butter).  The beauty of this simple sauce is the innumerable permutations it can take in the hands of any given cook at any given time.  No pigeonholing allowed.  My mom, for example, always adds 1 tsp of Honey and skips the wine.  I add Capers and the Lemon Zest to mine and use the Parsley for a garnish at the end. You can substitute Chicken Stock for the Wine, if you like.  You can replace the Lemon with Blood Orange, Ruby Grapefruit or Lime, if so inclined.  You can even chose Duck, Pork or Lamb, instead of the Veal.  It really just depends on what blows your hair back, floats your boat, turns your crank or what drum beat your are dancing to at the moment you are making it.  Sometimes I like to play it a little Loosey Goosey.

This has become evident in the popularity of "Chicken Piccata" vs the original Veal version.  While I personally do not quail at the thought of consuming Veal (no grousing), especially with the new laws regarding crating, I still find that the chicken variation is my favorite.  Someday, I would like to try this with duck and orange though; sort of a twist on Duck al'Orange.

The most difficult part of this dish is the "scalloping" or "butterflying' and pounding of the chicken breasts.  The pieces need to be fairly thin, so they cook quickly; which is the whole point of this particular dish.  In all honesty, if I had planned better, I would have purchased either Chicken "Tenders" or Chicken "Cutlets", then the hard part would have already been done for me.  (I am getting lazy)  LOL

Chicken Piccata

3-4 Chicken Breasts, about 24 oz (or Tenders or Cutlets)
4 TB AP Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp Sweet Paprika
2 TB Olive Oil
3 TB Unsalted Butter
1/3 cup Dry White Wine
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
2 TB Capers, drained
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
thin slices of lemon for garnish

“Scallop”, Butterfly or pound the chicken to between 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. (I usually do a little butterfly-ing followed by a little pounding, cause one end of the breast is always thicker.)

Mix Flour with Salt, Pepper and Paprika.

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture.

Heat the Olive Oil and Butter in heavy skillet or sauté pan.

Brown quickly on both sides giving the chicken sufficient time to cook meat thru.(about 2 minutes per side)

Move to a warm platter, garnish with lemon slices and tent to keep warm.

Pour off all but 2 TB of the fat.

Add wine and lemon juice to deglaze the pan.

Heat to a boil while scraping the bottom of the pan to release the fond.

When reduced by half add the lemon zest; stir to combine.

Add capers and stir.

There is your pan sauce.

Pour piccata sauce over chicken.

Serve immediately, with a smattering of freshly chopped Parsley, if desired.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM!! I'm happy as a Lark.

Mangia!!
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Wordless Wednesday - Cauliflower "Steak" with Gremolata

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Roman Toast - Giving French Toast it's Due

Though it poses under many names, just as the legendary Dutch Baby, "French Toast" as we know it was first mentioned by Apicius back in the days of Rome.

"Break fine white bread, crust removed, into rather large pieces which soak in milk [and beaten eggs], Fry in oil, cover with honey and serve." --Apicius Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome, edited and translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling , recipe 296 (p. 172)

Even the French originally referred to this application of Milk and Egg to day old bread as "pain a la Romaine" (Roman Bread), though now it is commonly known as "pain perdu" (Lost Bread); being a way to salvage old bread before it ends up in the "garbage". (hmmm, another French word)

So HOW is it that in America we call it French Toast? Your guess is as good as mine. LOL I mean, French toast shows up in Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book as Egg Toast or Bread Sauteed in 1884. So where does the "French" come in?

My assumption is that somehow, just as with French Fries or "Frenched" Fries (which are actually from Belgium) it was a shortening of the term "Toast in the manner of the French". Which kind of makes Ney & Jones look like idiots for over-reacting to France's disapproval of the 2003 invasion of Iraq with their "Freedom" Fry/Toast movement in the House Cafeterias. I think they should have given the toast it's due and simply referred to it as "Roman Toast". Not as "Patriotic" to be sure, but much less Patridiotic in the long run.

I'm just sayin'. (yeah, I know, I'm always "just sayin' somethin" and someday it's gonna get me in trouble) ;)

But be it known as French Toast, Freedom Toast, Arme Riddere, Poor Knights of Windsor, Gypsy Toast, Torrija, Nun's Toast, Lost Bread, Fattiga Riddare, Spanish Toast, Pain a la Romaine, German Toast, Wentelteefjes or Bread Sauteed, it is positively exquisite. That toasted exterior hiding the creamy custard like interior with a hint of sweet cinnamon. So delicious, in fact, that it spawned the famous Monte Cristo Sandwich. So I say, eat several slices as a part of your "nutritionally complete breakfast".

Roman Toast

1 day old Bread; Preferably a "long" loaf you can slice
1 cup Half & Half
3 Large Eggs
1 TB Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
pinch of Kosher Salt

Slice the bread into 3/4 inch slices (Take the 8 largest ones from the center and use the rest for bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 375 and place a cooling rack on a baking sheet; place in the oven (for finishing off the toast)

Whisk Half & Half, Eggs, Sugar, Cinnamon and Salt in a small bowl.

Pour this mixture into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate.

Set up a second cooling rack on a sheet pan for draining.

Dip each slice of bread into the mixture and let it soak for 20 seconds before turning and allowing to soak for 20 more seconds.

Move each saturated piece to the draining rack and let set for a couple minutes to allow the bread to finish absorbing the "batter".

Meanwhile, begin heating a skillet with 1 TB of Olive oil (Yes, olive oil, not butter; that is for the topping when you eat it) LOL

Place 3-4 slices in the skillet and sear for 2-3 minutes, before turning.

Then sear 2-3 minutes on the second side as well.

Move the finished toasts to the oven while continuing with the remaining slices. (add another TB of oil if needed)

Serve with your choice of toppings, such as Maple Syrup, Whipped Cream and Fresh Fruit...

Or my personal favorite... Butter, a Lemon Wedge and a sprinkle of Confectioners' Sugar .

Or, like my mom, A LOT of Confectioners' Sugar.... it all depends on taste.

Mangia!!
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Foraging on the Forest Floor - Stinging Nettle Pesto

So I am going to let you in on a little secret, in case you have decided to go 'Pot Hunting' (Mushroom hunting) in the Columbia River Gorge.... It's still too early for morels, regardless of the warm weather we have been having.

Needless to say, after bumbling though the bountiful blackberry briar bushes, I came back shroom-less. BUT... Yes, that is a big "But". My forager's instincts had been awakened only to be unleashed upon the forest floor. So instead of shoving shrooms in my satchel, I nimbly nabbed numerous nettles, neatly nestling them in my knapsack.

I figured since Morel Risotto was out of the question, I would at least leave with one of my favorite foraged ingredients and make a Nettle Pesto, with which I would lavishly smother my Linguine. I chose Walnuts for this because pine nuts would not be "strong" enough to stand up the the flavor of the nettles. It was the same with the cheese. When I make Pesto, I use a mixture of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, but nettles are more intense than basil, so the more pungent cheese is the choice. Grab that Pecorino Romano baby. Although I think Asiago might work just as well.....

I have dealt with handling Nettles in preparation for Ravioli di Ortica alla Pusteresi, as well as posting about Pesto Genoese, way,Way, WAY back; shortly after I started this blog. The process, by which I make pesto, is by hand, with a mezzaluna; but by all means, if you prefer the food processor then go for it. It's simply a personal preference. I like a more rustic multi-textured pesto, and this can only be achieved with a mezzaluna. A food processor will create a nice uniformly chopped pesto.

Pesto Suolo Forestale

(Forest Floor Pesto)

6 oz (160 g) Nettle tops
4 cloves Garlic (I used 5 cause 2 were very small)
Kosher Salt
2.2 oz (65 g) Walnuts
1.5 oz (45 g) Pecorino Romano
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
8 oz (235 ml) Extra Virgin Olive oil

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile wash the Nettles (don't touch them)

Move nettles (with gloves) to the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute.

Drain and spray with cold water to stop the cooking.

Squeeze the water out (Just like spinach)

Place about 1/2 the nettles and the garlic on a cutting board with a pinch of salt and begin chopping them with a mezzaluna.

Add 1/2 the walnuts and chop some more.

Add 1/2 the remaining nettles and 1/2 the cheese; then Chop Chop a whole lot more.

Add the remaining Walnuts and Nettles then Chop Chop Choppity Chop.

Then finally, add the last of the cheese and... yep, you guesses it... chop away.

Mash it together so it can me moved to a dish.... I always make it a square cause I use a square container.

Sprinkle with the juice of 1/2 a Lemon.

Then pour Extra Virgin Olive oil over it

and smash with a fork to work the oil into the mixture.

Tada! Pesto from the Forest Floor...

Now anoint some linguine with the Nettle-y goodness and sprinkle with a little more Pecorino Romano...

Delicious!


Mangia!!
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