Piccata
Piccata (picatta, pichotta : spellings) is a method of preparing food: meat is sliced, coated, sautéed and served in a sauce. The dish originated in Italy using veal (veal piccata). In the United States, the most well-known variant is chicken piccata. The recipe has a meatless adaptation using seitan (seitan piccata).
Overview
A chicken breast is butterflied or sliced along its width. It is flattened with a tenderizer between two pieces of wax paper. It is seasoned and dredged in flour before being browned in butter or olive oil. The sauce is made using the pan drippings. Lemon juice and white wine are added and reduced. Shallots or garlic can be added with capers and slices of lemon. After reduction, butter is stirred in to finish the sauce.
In the United States, it is usually served with a starch, such as pasta, polenta, or rice. In Italy, veal piccata is a secondo and would be served after the pasta (or other starch) course.