10/10/10 - Chicken Piccata!

One issue we have with LA that we believe we have mentioned is the lack of good Italian food at a reasonable price. So, we have taught ourselves to make some of our basic favorites. Tonight we take on the chicken piccata. Our version is very close to a chicken francese

The Wine Kitty recommends the Zaca Mesa '07 Z Blanc to go with the chicken dish. While Zaca Mesa is mostly known for their delicious Syrahs, this is a buttery, oaky, golden white drinks like a high-end Napa chardonnay but is a blend of 74% Roussane, 22% Grenache & 4% Viognier. You can only get this wine at their winery or through their online store. It retails for about $32 ($29 if you are a member of ZM's wine club).

Chicken Piccata


2 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup chicken stock
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp drained capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt/pepper

Place chicken between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness. Salt and pepper chicken pieces. Coat each chicken piece in flour.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until golden and cooked completely, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer chicken to plate and keep warm.

Mix 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbps flour in small bowl until smooth. Bring wine, stock and lemon juice to boil in skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture and stir for a minute until sauce thickens. Stir in capers and parsley. Season to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve or toss chicken in pan with sauce and serve.

We paired the piccata with our grilled romaine leaves. If you are carving some carbs, you can also whip up a side of spaghetti or penne and use the extra lemon butter sauce on the pasta.

Sunday, July 18 - Surf and Turf / Zaca Mesa Syrah

Today, Laura and I indulged in a mid-afternoon dinner.  It was a big, colorful meal, a surf and turf dinner with 4 sides - grilled onion, green beans, spinach and sweet potato.

We did the usual with the lobster tail and the NY strip steak ... melted butter and paprika on the lobster and broiled for 7 minutes - teriyaki, honey and pepper on the steak.  The onion was drizzled with oil and seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled 6 minutes a side just like the steaks.  The spinach was wilted in a large frying pan and tossed with a touch of butter, salt and pepper.  The green beans were steamed for several minutes and tossed in a small frying pan with the same. Most of our veggies came from a new farmer's market that opened in Culver City called Sprouts. The lobster tails were on special this week for $4.99 each. The green beans we grew ourselves from seed in our outdoor patio garden. They were delicious!!

Our meal deserved a killer wine. We paired it with the Mesa Reserve Syrah from Zaca Mesa, an incredible central coast winery on Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos.  This particular vintage ... 100% syrah, ...726 cases produced ... 93 points from Wine Enthusiast .... delicious and smooth as silk.  Deep and dark in color with flavors of blackberries and smoky oak, it retails for $42 a bottle and can be enjoyed now or over the next 10 - 12 years.

Simple, easy, and delicious.

Now we're off to the movies to get our minds bent by "Inception"!!