This Monday is Memorial Day, and while most people will be taking the time off to fire up the grill for some wholesome kabobs, I decided to stay inside and treat myself to a fancier dinner, with layers of flavors
This Monday is Memorial Day, and while most people will be taking the time off to fire up the grill for some wholesome kabobs, I decided to stay inside and treat myself to a fancier dinner, with layers of flavors to test my culinary skills.
I’ve tried other chicken dishes, which have come out successful (and by that, I mean looking exactly like the pictures I’ve seen of them and actually tasting good), but this Lemon Chicken Scallopine has turned out to be the best so far.
Previously, I’ve brought you dishes that have a local twist like the Pineapple Teriyaki or timely dishes like the Cilantro-Tequila Chicken for Cinco De Mayo.
This particular one I tried because it’s a little more complex than the others, and let’s face it, I had time on my hands. For the most part, I like to stick to simple recipes not requiring too many ingredients or too much work. Another factor that comes into play is how long it takes me to prep and cook the dish. Generally, if it would take a long time to cook, I would steer clear because I was just too impatient to wait that long.
But because I have had this dish several times at various different restaurants and liked it every time, I figured it’s about time I learned how to cook it myself.
This one took longer to prep and cook than any of the other dishes I’ve cooked, but it was so worth it in the end. This by far is my favorite so far to spoil myself with.
For this, I had to cook a lot of the ingredients separately and then bring them together in the end. Cooking things separately can often be a hassle because it seems like there aren’t enough burners or counter space to go around.
But like I said, it was worth it. The capers, the bacon, the lemon and the white wine were all so tasty.
Just a couple notes. As with any recipe, this can be changed to fit your own individual palette. I used nonpareil capers, but that doesn’t mean you have to. I advise you to use whichever kind you like best. Also, for the bacon, I like pancetta, but regular bacon or flavored bacon will do.
As for the artichoke hearts, I kind of cheated and bought marinated hearts in a jar.
Good luck and enjoy.
Lemon Chicken Scallopine
2 tablespoons corn oil margarine
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chicken broth, either homemade or canned
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons capers
2 artichoke hearts
2 strips bacon chopped
angel hair pasta
parsley as a garnish, optional.
Boil the pasta and set a aside.
Cook the bacon till crisp, and set aside.
Melt margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté over medium-high heat for one minute on each side.
Remove chicken and keep warm. Add wine, broth and lemon juice to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for three minutes, stirring to deglaze skillet.
Add capers and chicken, turning chicken to coat with sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
Take the artichoke hearts and heat both sides.
To plate, place angel hair pasta on plate. Lay chicken on top of the pasta. Sprinkle the capers and bacon generously around the chicken and the plate. Place artichoke hearts on plate and garnish with parsley.
• Lanaly Cabalo, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com.
