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Piccata describes meat, usually veal or chicken, that is sliced, dredged in flour, browned, and then served in a sauce containing
File:Chicken piccata.jpg, Chicken piccata
File:Veal piccata.jpg, Veal piccata
File:Swordfish in piccata sauce.jpg, Swordfish in piccata sauce
File:Seitan Piccata.jpg, Seitan piccata
Piccata describes meat, usually veal or chicken, that is sliced, dredged in flour, browned, and then served in a sauce containing lemon juice
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China.
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culina ...
, butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...
, and caper
''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers.
The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...
s.
Etymology
Piccata is an Italian word, the feminine form of the word piccato, meaning “larded.” It is also commonly spelled picatta or pichotta outside of Italy. The culinary use of the Italian term means "to be pounded flat." When used in reference to a way of preparing food, particularly meat or fish, it means "sliced, sautéed, and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter, and spices." Traditionally, the Italians use veal (veal piccata); however, the best-known dish in the US uses chicken (chicken piccata). The recipe has a meatless adaptation usingseitan
Seitan (, ; Japanese: セイタン) is a food made from gluten, the main protein of wheat.
It is also known as miànjīn (), fu (Japanese: 麩), milgogi (Korean: 밀고기), wheat meat, gluten meat, vital wheat gluten or simply gluten. It is ma ...
(seitan piccata). Piccata is also prepared using veal
Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding. Generally, v ...
(''piccata di vitello al limone'') or frittura piccata, particularly in the Milanese region swordfish
Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfis ...
(''pesce spada con capperi e limone'').
Preparation
A chicken breast is butterflied or sliced along its width. It is flattened to an even thickness with atenderizer
A meat tenderizer, or meat pounder is a hand-powered tool used to tenderize slabs of meat in the preparation for cooking. Although a meat tenderizer can be made out of virtually any object, there are three types manufactured specifically fo ...
between two pieces of wax paper
Waxed paper (also wax paper, waxpaper, or paraffin paper) is paper that has been made moisture-proof and grease-proof through the application of wax.
The practice of oiling parchment or paper in order to make it semi-translucent or moisture-proo ...
or plastic wrap. It is seasoned and dredged in flour before being browned in butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...
or olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
. The sauce is made using pan drippings. Lemon juice and white wine or chicken stock are added and reduced. Shallot
The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with ''Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as the d ...
s or garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
can be added with capers
''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers.
The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...
, chopped parsley and slices of lemon. After reduction, butter is stirred in to finish the sauce.
In the United States, it is usually served with a vegetable or starch, such as pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...
, polenta
Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...
, or rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima
''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...
. In Italy, veal piccata is a '' secondo'' and would be served after the pasta (or other starch) course.
See also
*Braciola
Braciola (; plural braciole ) may refer to several distinct dishes in Italian cuisine.
Cut of meat
Braciola may refer to an Italian dish, consisting of slices of meat that are pan-fried or grilled, often in their own juice or in a small amoun ...
* Carne pizzaiola
Carne pizzaiola or carne alla pizzaiola (roughly translated as "meat in pizza style"), sometimes referred to just as pizzaiola, is a dish derived from the Neapolitan tradition that features meat (often less expensive cuts of beef) cooked with tom ...
* Chicken Française
Chicken Française (or Chicken Francese) is an Italian-American dish of flour-dredged, egg-dipped, sautéed chicken cutlets with a lemon-butter and white wine sauce. The dish is popular in the region surrounding Rochester, New York, where it is ...
* List of chicken dishes
This is a list of chicken dishes. Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and was one of the first domesticated animals. Chicken is a major worldwide source of meat and eggs for human consumption. It is prepared as food in a wide ...
* List of veal dishes
This is a list of veal dishes, which use or may use veal as a primary ingredient. Veal is the meat of young calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal come ...
* Saltimbocca
Saltimbocca, also spelled saltinbocca (, , ; ), is an Italian dish (also popular in southern Switzerland). It consists of veal that has been wrapped ("lined") with prosciutto and sage, and then marinated in wine, oil, or salt water, depending on ...
* Scaloppine
Scaloppine (plural and diminutive of '' scaloppa''—a small scallop, i.e., a thinly sliced cut of meat; in English usage ''scaloppini''; sometimes ''scallopini'') is a type of Italian dish that comes in many forms. It consists of thinly sliced ...
References
External links
* {{Chicken dishes, state=collapsed American chicken dishes Italian chicken dishes Veal dishes