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Chicken Picatta with Asparagus and Apple Salad Spruces Up a Classic

By Tom Liddy | May 7, 2013 6:37am
 This dish balances the richness of the chicken with a zesty salad of asparagus and green apples.
Chicken Picatta with Asparagus and Apple Salad
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NEW YORK CITY — One of the classic dishes in Italian cuisine is chicken picatta, a crispy, fried cutlet that is dressed with a savory, lemony sauce.

Its counterpart in French cuisine is meunière, a preparation usually reserved for white fish fillets, but also pairs perfectly with chicken.

What makes it so great? The blend of bright citrus sauce pairs perfectly with the richness of the cutlet and the brine of the capers.

Oh, and it's pretty easy to make.

With spring finally here, asparagus makes a delicious companion to the rich and lemony chicken. The asparagus is broiled to bring out the vegetables' natural smokiness.

Paired with the bite of the red onions and sweetness of green apples, it is a perfect compliment to the star of the dish, the cutlets.

Here's how to make it tonight.

INGREDIENTS:

For the chicken

¾ lb. thinly sliced chicken cutlets

½ cup flour, sifted in a plate

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. capers

1 cup white wine

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

For the salad

1 green apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 bunch asparagus, tough ends cut off

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

 This dish balances the richness of the chicken with a zesty salad of asparagus and green apples.
Chicken Picatta with Asparagus and Apple Salad 2
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For the salad

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and place under the broiler.

2. Broil about 12-15 minutes, tossing once and set aside to cool to room temperature. The asparagus should still be bright green with charred portions.

3. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest and sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then whisk in enough olive oil until the dressing is thick.

4. In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, onions and apples and then add the dressing. Toss to coat and set aside.

For the chicken

1. Combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder on a plate.

2. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Then dip each cutlet in the egg and then the flour mixture. Shake off any excess and then transfer to another plate.

3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Put enough olive oil in the pan to coat the bottom. Then fry the cutlets on both sides until cooked through (3-5 minutes per side), working in batches to avoid crowding the pan.

5. Set the cutlets aside to rest.

6. When you’ve finished cooking the cutlets, pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom.

7. Turn the heat up, add the lemon juice, lemon zest and capers and reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

8. Season and then whisk in the butter. Add the parsley and serve.

9. Dig in.