Perfecting Piccata

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

While the origins of piccata are vague, the signature flavors are anything but. Most believe this dish to be authentically Italian, but it seems to have found its start when Italians immigrated to the US in the early 1900s. However it got here, we are thankful to have this easy go-to sauce in our cooking toolkit. Let us teach you the basics. 

The word piccata literally translates to thin slices (usually of meat) but it is more commonly thought of as the buttery lemon sauce that tops our favorite meats. Not only is it delicious, but it’s so easy to make! It’s the simply perfect combination of acid, salt & butter. Most commonly the acid is fresh lemon juice and the salty crunch comes from capers. It's balanced out with a splash of wine and/or broth. All of these flavors infuse and leave you with a sauce that perfectly tops any meat and just one pan to clean up.

There are endless possibilities for customizing this sauce. You can add your favorite nuts or herbs and top just about anything from veal to pasta. Most commonly, meats are lightly coated in flour and pan fried before getting the piccata sauce treatment. 

This week’s Chicken Piccata will teach you the basics of a great piccata sauce. You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in less than 30 minutes with just a sauté pan & sheet pan to clean up. Now that piccata perfection!

Order Your Piccata Today >>