Chicken Piccata

When trying to please a crowd, especially on the West coast, choose a chicken recipe. This delicious dish is prepared a little differently than the usual Piccata chicken recipe to prevent the chicken from drying out and to minimize the time spent in the kitchen if you are hosting a party. The morning of the party, give the chicken breasts a quick browning on both sides without cooking it all the way through. Then, prepare the sauce, drizzle it over the breasts in a baking pan, and refrigerate until party time. Right before the party, all you have to do is heat it up in the oven to finish cooking the chicken. You have a dish the tastes like you've been in the kitchen slaving away during the party laying each lemony capered breast into the pan and cooking it to a golden brown when actually all the "active" cooking was done hours ago. It's a great make-head recipe and I've proportioned it for 50 peeps!

• 50 boneless, skinless half chicken breasts
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons pepper
• Olive oil

Piccata Sauce

• 1 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 shallots, cut into slivers
• 1 (6-oz.) jar capers
• 2 cups Pinot Grigio
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Pound chicken breast with a kitchen mallet to 1/4-inch thickness. Toss together flour, salt and pepper and place on a dinner plate. Coat chicken in flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook 4 - 5 chicken breasts at a time in skillet until flour coating is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Repeat process with remaining chicken breasts adding 1 tablespoon of oil for every batch. Place chicken in shingled rows in a 9x13-inch baking pan (see note below). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Make Piccata Sauce immediately after chicken is browned. In same skillet, add 1/4 cup butter, oil, and shallots and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add capers and wine and cook until wine reduces to 1/2, about 3 –5 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat and swirl in remaining 3/4 cups butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. Drizzle sauce over chicken in baking pan. Cover and return to refrigerator until ready to use. Chicken may be prepared up to this point on the morning of the event and then, fully cooked and served in the evening.

Preheat over to 325F (165C). Uncover pans of chicken and place in oven. Cook for about 15 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Arrange in a chafing dish or on a large platter and spoon Piccata Sauce from pan over top. Serve hot.

Makes 50 servings

Note: You will need at least three 9x13-inch baking pans to make all 50 chicken breasts. I’ve found about 15 breasts fit nicely into one pan. You can also use 8x 8-inch baking dishes or whatever you have in the kitchen. Or, purchase disposable aluminum pans from the grocery store.