Throughout the year, we hope to share stories and recipes from our 2022 Food Hall of Fame winners and finalists. This recipe comes from Little Rock (Pulaski County) favorite Trio's. Owners Capi Peck and Brent Peterson are our 2022 Proprietors of the Year and Trio's is no stranger to awards, including being a 2021 Food Hall of Fame finalist and a 2017-2020 nominee in various categories.
This dish is perfect to share in our Food Hall of Fame blog series — and we're not just saying that because of the buttery sauce and perfectly breaded meat. The Food of the Year is chicken, a staple on many dinner tables across the state. Add Trio's Mediterranean-inspired Chicken Piccata to your family's meal rotation and enjoy!
TRIO’S CHICKEN PICCATA
Serves Six
For the chicken:
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 lbs.), pounded evenly thin.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs, beaten with 6 T. water (egg wash)
- 1 1/2—2 cups panko bread crumbs
- Salt & pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 sticks salted butter
- 6 T. olive oil
- 3 T. finely minced shallots
- 1 T. minced garlic
- 6 T. capers, drained
- 1 1/2 cups dry vermouth (You may substitute chicken stock or use a combination of vermouth & chicken stock.)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- Flat leaf Italian parsley, trimmed of stems & chopped… about 1/4 cup
- Salt & pepper
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, then egg wash (shake off any excess egg,) then dredge in panko crumbs. Repeat until all chicken breasts are coated; set aside.
Heat 3 T. butter and 2 T. olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 3 chicken breasts to the hot pan and cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove chicken to a pan on the side and repeat until all chicken is cooked.
Tip: don’t crowd the chicken — if your pan is smaller do three batches. Keep chicken warm in a low temperature oven (300-degree) while you make the sauce.
In the same sauté pan used to cook chicken, add shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Add garlic and capers and sauté 1 minute. Add vermouth and deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add lemon juice. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add parsley and simmer for 2 minutes. Add remaining butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, whisking until it’s incorporated into the sauce. Check the seasonings—add salt & pepper to taste.
Return the chicken breasts to the pan, one at a time, turning as you add to coat them with the sauce. Heat in sauce till chicken is cooked through.
TIP: If your sauté pan is small you can put the chicken breasts in a 9"x13" dish, pour the sauce over, turning to coat well, and put the chicken in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking.
Serve immediately.
Suggested sides: mashed potatoes, thin pasta such as angel hair, risotto