By LeAnn Rice, Recipe Contributor

Lemon Chicken is probably my very first “specialty” recipe. I started making this several years ago and it has become my go-to recipe when I need something fancy but EASY at the last minute. As soon as the weather gets warm, I love the light, fresh citrus taste of Lemon Chicken. It’s just soooo refreshing! It goes very well with a rice pilaf or light pasta and with any green veggie.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb package chicken tenders or thinly sliced breasts * (see note at bottom)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup dry white wine (if you wouldn’t drink it – don’t cook with it)
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour mixture, shaking off any excess, and set aside.

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large, heavy skillet and place over medium to medium-high heat. (Stoves vary – you want the pan hot but not smoking.) When pan is hot, add one tablespoon of the butter. When the butter is melted, arrange the cutlets in the skillet and cook for approximately two minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. (If you need to cook the cutlets in batches, add another tablespoon of olive oil and another tablespoon of butter to the skillet before adding more cutlets.)

Once all the chicken has been browned, add wine to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock, the juice of two lemons, capers and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining four tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon at a time. When the butter has melted, add the chicken back to the pan spooning sauce over chicken to coat. Simmer for about three minutes or until chicken is heated through.

To serve, arrange chicken on a serving platter, pour the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle with the fresh parsley. Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

* If you do not see chicken tenders or thinly sliced breasts in your meat department, purchase two boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut each breast into three pieces and then pound each piece between pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap until they are about a third of an inch thick.

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