Chicken piccata or veal piccata is a traditional Italian dish, very often available in Italian restaurants. Piccata translates to piquant or piquancy, which in one definition means tart or zesty. Chicken piccata does have a tart sauce, with traditional additions of lemon juice, white wine and capers. It’s also quite easy to prepare, especially in small batches.

Chicken piccata is often made in place of veal piccata because it is less expensive, and many prefer not to eat veal since they feel growing methods for veal are cruel. It is also acceptable to use pork instead of chicken or veal. Vegetarians can prepare the dish using thin slices of tofu, or eggplant. However, meat substitutes will not produce a very rich sauce.

Using very thin slices of chicken is essential to properly constructing the dish. A half breast should usually be horizontally sliced in half and then pounded with a mallet until the slices are about an 1/8 of an inch (about .31 cm) thick. Since most of us do not precisely measure our food, the best way to aim for the desired thinness is to pound the meat until it is almost translucent or see-through.

Pounding the meat to the desired thinness is probably the most time consuming process in the construction of chicken piccata. One can certainly do this the night before, but the meat should then be refrigerated again. One can also reduce mess, by placing the meet in a sealable plastic bag, or by putting it between two layers of plastic wrap. One should observe caution when working with raw meat, as it can sometimes harbor salmonella or E. coli. Be sure to wash all surfaces used during the pounding process, and particularly wash the hands for at least 30 seconds with warm soapy water, after handling raw meat.

The chicken is then dredged in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Excess flour should be dusted off. In a medium heat pan, the thin slices of chicken cook very quickly, about a minute to two on each side. Overcooking the meat can ruin chicken piccata, as who really wants to eat leather with a lemon sauce?

Once the chicken is cooked in a little bit of olive oil, garlic and traditionally sage are added. If one is a fan of capers, they may also be added at this time. Capers are brined green berries found throughout most of the Mediterranean and are readily available in the US. Once the garlic becomes translucent, wine and lemon juice are added to deglaze the pan, producing a delightfully tart sauce. The meat is then combined with the sauce and cooked over low heat for about a minute so the meat can become infused with the sauce's flavors.

In preparing chicken piccata, one should observe caution when adding the wine to a dish on an open flame. It can easily flame up, particularly if any wine spills on the burner. So add with care. If one is preparing chicken piccata for a large group, the frying process can be done in several batches while the meat keeps warm in a 200° F (93.33° C) oven.

Chicken piccata can be served with rice or pasta as a side dish. It is particularly good with rice pilaf. Steamed or fried vegetables like summer squash also pair well with chicken piccata. In total, including prep time, the dish takes about 20 minutes to make, so it truly is a quick and tasty way to get dinner on the table. For a little added flair, add a few sprigs of parsley on the top, before bringing the dish to the table.