Lemony piccata sauce will delight

One dish that appears on our dinner table with great regularity starts with quick-cooking cutlets, often in a lemony piccata sauce. Technically, piccata is the Italian word for a veal escalope. Escalope is the French word for a very thin slice of meat we call a cutlet or scallop (not the fish). All of which means that piccata can be made with veal, chicken, pork or turkey.

When offered on a restaurant menu, piccata will feature dainty slices of meat or poultry that have been sautéed in a skillet and served with a delicate sauce made from pan drippings, white wine and lemon juice. Sometimes this is garnished with chopped parsley or a scattering of capers.

While not a difficult dish to prepare, piccata has some tricky elements. Whatever main ingredient you choose, proper slicing and pounding are essential. Because short muscle fibers will be more tender and unlikely to constrict or buckle when cooked, the slices should be carved against the grain. I’ve used pork or turkey tenderloins and also thick, boneless pork chops sliced in half to create two thinner cutlets.

The cutlets should start about one-half inch thick and pounded between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper until about one-quarter inch thick. If you’re using chicken breasts, remove the tenderloin and cut the breast in half lengthwise before pounding. As much as I love veal, it can be difficult to find; and packaged slices are often cut too thin or in the wrong direction.

Another key to a successful piccata is to have everything else on the menu almost ready to serve before you start to cook the entrée. The cutlets should be generously seasoned with salt and pepper, then dredged in flour. Once the butter has melted in the skillet and before it starts to brown, add the cutlets in a single layer.

They usually will need about two minutes per side to create a nice golden crust. Have a warm serving platter and a piece of foil ready nearby to transfer the cooked cutlets while you whisk together the sauce. Quickly deglaze the skillet with the wine, stir in the broth, lemon juice, lemons slices and capers. Pour the sauce over the cutlets and dinner is ready.

Because of the very short cooking time, the primary ingredient will remain tender and juicy, which makes this a great way to serve pork, which can easily dry out if overcooked. The light dusting of flour combines with the liquid ingredients to form a nice sauce.

Seasonings for the cutlets will depend on which meat or poultry you’ve selected. I use summer savory with pork and turkey, white pepper with chicken and nutmeg with veal — but here’s where personal preference will dictate. Another variation comes with which type of alcohol used for the deglazing — anything from vermouth to vodka, red or white wine.

Another variation we’ve enjoyed is to transform piccata to pomodoro. As you may know, pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato. Any dish prepared pomodoro style will include tomatoes in some form. The pork cutlets in the photo were cooked the same way as piccata, only substituting diced tomato for the lemon. Starting with thin cutlets is a quick and easy way to make a tasty meal.

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1/3 C flour
1/4 t white pepper
2 T butter
1/4 C dry white wine
1 t minced garlic
2 T fresh lemon juice
6 lemon slices
1/3 C chicken broth
1 T capers

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise and pound to 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate and add white pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour shaking off any excess; set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet and add chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the cutlets, cover the pan and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a warm serving platter and cover to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in garlic, lemon juice, lemon slices, broth and capers. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

Pork Pomodoro

2 thick boneless pork chops
salt & pepper
1/8 t dried savory
1/3 C flour
1 T oil
1 T butter
1/4 C vodka
1/3 C vegetable broth
1/2 C chopped tomato
2 sliced green onions

Slice the chops in half lengthwise and pound each piece to 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate and add savory. Dredge the cutlets in the flour shaking off any excess; set aside. Add butter and oil to a skillet and heat. Add pieces of meat in a single layer. Cook until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the cutlets, cover the pan and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer pork to a warm serving platter and cover to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with the vodka, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in broth, tomato and green onions. Pour sauce over pork and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

Send questions, comment and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net