Grilled Chicken Piccata
Now that summer has officially hit, I’m outside a lot more. See, we’re currently in a rental house because our actual house is undergoing a remodel. Being in a rental means I’m in a smaller kitchen with one oven that doesn’t have a hood or fan and no air conditioning and no insulation. It’s like living in the wilderness! Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but it’s definitely not great. The biggest point is that once the temperature goes up the house heats up. Add a hot oven to that, and the kitchen is that last place I want to be.
So, what does that mean? After all, I still have to make dinner. But how do I make a hot meal when it’s too hot to be inside? Easy, I move outside. I love to grill. It’s actually my favorite place to be during the summer months. It’s so much fun to build the fire, add a handful of wood smoking chips and watch my proteins cook. They smell amazing and they get those beautiful grill marks on them. I’ve grilled all sorts of things from chicken to steak to fish. Not only do they look and smell amazing, but once they’re done cooking they taste like the outdoors. Seriously, if I could grill all my meals, I would. I mean, I guess I can since I live in sunny Southern California, but as much as I like my grill, I love my oven more.
Michael Symon
Anyway, when the pandemic started, one of my favorite chefs, Michael Symon, started doing live cooking classes on Facebook Live. Every day at 2 pm he’d appear on my screen and for about 30 minutes, I got to forget about homeschooling or the fact that nothing was open or that there was nothing to do. I got to have fun and learn recipes and ask questions. It was wonderful! I made several recipes during his 40 days on Facebook, and every single one of them was absolutely delicious! While a lot of them were cooked inside using the stove, there were a few times when Symon ventured out to his backyard and grilled, which is how I discovered this healthy, smokey version of the classic dish.
Grilling vs. Sautéing
Usually Chicken Piccata is made with boneless chicken breasts that are dredged in flour and then sautéed in a lemony, butter sauce. Because the chicken is grilled in this version, you automatically lose the thing that adds the most calories – the flour. Don’t get me wrong, I love the classic piccata, but the smokey flavor from the grill heightens the dish to a whole new level. Symon also uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for even more flavor. And instead of cooking the chicken in the sauce on the stove, the raw chicken marinates in the sauce. That same marinade is then heated on the grill while the chicken cooks. So, now you have the flavor from the chicken as well as the smokiness from the grill all in that amazing sauce. If you’re concerned about pouring the marinade over the chicken, don’t be. Because the sauce comes to a boil on the grill, all the bacteria from the raw chicken is killed, leaving you with lip-smacking, lemony goodness.
While this chicken dish is perfect for any summer night, it’s also a great option for Saturday for the 4th. Just because we can’t have large parties or go to the beach (at least not here in California), doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a lovely barbecued dinner outdoors. You could even invite a few friends. And Grilled Chicken Piccata is so much better than your basic hamburger or hot dog. So, give it a try and have a Happy 4th!
Notes
Adapted from Michael Symon
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, capers, parsley and lemon juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and place into a resealable bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
- Prepare the grill for indirect cooking.
- Transfer the chicken from the marinade to the hot side of the grill, skin side up, close the lid and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another minute, then transfer to the cool side of the grill.
- Pour the marinade into a grill safe pan and place over the hot coals. Close the lid and let everything cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the marinade is boiling.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Whisk the butter into the marinade, pour over the plated chicken and serve.
