You know Anthony ‘Rocco’ DiGrazia from his restaurant, which is dedicated to all things Windy City, Rocco’s Little Chicago. But did you know the Chicago native also spends his spare time perfecting recipes from the old county?
DiGrazia shares with us one of his staple comfort recipes that are sure to please all carnivores – Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata with Rosemary.
“This is my favorite type of chicken piccata, one of those very easy recipes someone can put together that looks and tastes pretty impressive and the dish is adaptable,” said DiGrazia.
Hopefully we all know the Italian method of filleting, whipping, and frying a protein called piccata. The method is similar to whipping and roasting chicken, but adds a few extra steps to prepare the meat and sauce that goes with it. While Italians traditionally cook the dish with veal, Italian-Americans have started adapting the recipe to Yardbird due to its affordability and availability.
DiGrazia said he was inspired to play around with the traditional chicken piccata recipe after receiving a large batch of Meyer lemons as a gift from a friend years ago. Meyer lemons have a sweeter, orange-colored taste than their sour sister, the lemon.
“I was wondering what to do with this large amount of Meyer lemons, and it occurred to me,” said DiGrazia. “I added the rosemary because it goes well with citrus and usually chicken piccata doesn’t have garlic, but I add garlic to everything.”
While the process of butterflying the chicken (cutting the chicken breast from the side but stopping just before cutting the breast in two) and then dredging the breast in flour before frying is traditionally the same, the secret of this dish lies in the sauce .
If you’re unable to get your hands on some Meyer lemons, DiGrazia has a great hack that works just fine in a pinch.
“A Meyer lemon is basically two parts lemon and one part orange,” said DiGrazia. “You could use about half a cup of lemon juice and then a tablespoon or two of orange juice to get some of the sweetness out and reduce some of the acidity.”
DiGrazia recommends combining the finished dish with a side of ricotta gnocchi and a glass of your favorite wine.
Roccos Meyer Lemon Chicken Piccata with rosemary
Ingredients:
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup chicken broth
½ cup of Meyer lemon juice
¼ cup of rinsed capers OR julienned kalamata
Olives
A 6 inch sprig of fresh rosemary, stripped and
chopped
1-2 cloves of chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish
Procedure:
Butterfly and pound chicken breasts when they are
no more than ¼ inch thick.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter and all of the oil in one large pour
Iron pan (preferred) or pan over medium heat.
Dip the chicken in flour and shake off any excess
Fry the chicken for about 4 minutes per side until
lightly browned and then on a paper towel.
Make sauce:
Fry the rosemary and garlic in the pan for about a minute, until fragrant. Then add the chicken stock and Meyer lemon juice to the pan.
Scrape off browned pieces and cook until the broth and juice mixture subsides a little and thickens.
Put the capers or olives in the pan and hardly melt the remaining butter in the sauce.
Season the dish with salt and pepper and serve the sauce over the chicken and steamed broccolini.
Garnish with parsley.
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