Chicken piccata takes a beloved food—pan-fried chicken cutlets—and tops it with a simple but luxurious lemon-butter pan sauce. The result is a flavor and texture festival that blends crispness, juiciness, richness, and tartness all into one. WHY IT WORKS Fried chicken cutlets topped with a rich butter sauce. Japanese panko bread crumbs form a coating that becomes shatteringly crisp but still light and tender, not dense and tough. The pan sauce whips up quickly after frying, so the cutlets don't have to wait long. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Large skillet INGREDIENTS 1 cup all-purpose flour (5 ounces; 140g) 3 large eggs, beaten 2 cups panko bread crumbs (4 ounces; 115g), roughly crushed by hand if very large 2 ounces (60g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 8 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (3 or 4 ounces each), pounded to about 1/4 inch thick Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Vegetable oil, for frying 1/2 cup dry white wine (120ml) 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers (15g) 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (70g) 2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon (30ml) 1 1/2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley DIRECTIONS 1. Set three wide, shallow bowls on a work surface. Add flour to the first one, beaten eggs to the second, and panko and Parmesan cheese to the third. Mix panko and Parmesan thoroughly. 2. Line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper. Season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper. Working with one at a time, dredge a cutlet in flour with your left hand, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg dish, then turn cutlet with your right hand to coat both sides. Lift and allow excess egg to drain off, then transfer to bread crumb mixture. With your left hand, scoop bread crumbs on top of chicken, then gently press, turning chicken to ensure a good layer of crumbs on both sides. Transfer cutlet to prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining cutlets. 3. Fill a large skillet with 1/4 inch oil. Heat over high heat until shimmering and just shy of smoking, about 375°F on an instant-read thermometer. 4. Working in batches and using tongs or your fingers, gently lower cutlets into the pan, laying them down away from you to prevent hot fat from splashing toward you. Fry, gently swirling pan and rotating cutlets for even browning, and adjusting heat as necessary for a steady, vigorous bubble, until bottom side is browned and crisp, about three minutes. Flip cutlets and fry until other side is browned and crisp, about three minutes longer. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt right away. Repeat with remaining cutlets, topping up oil if necessary. 5. Drain all but one tablespoon oil from skillet. Add wine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cooking until raw alcohol smell has mostly cooked off, about two minutes. Add capers and butter, whisking constantly, until butter has melted. Lower heat to medium and continue whisking and reducing until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms (the time this takes will depend on your burner power and the size of your pan). If sauce over-reduces and breaks at any point, add one tablespoon cold water and whisk to emulsify it again. Whisk in lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. 6. Arrange cutlets on a platter and drizzle warm butter sauce all over. Serve right away.
This crepe-style manicotti dish features tender thin pancakes rolled around a rich and creamy veal ragù, layered with tomato sauce, and baked until bubbling and browned. WHY IT WORKS Béchamel makes a creamier, richer, and silkier sauce than the ricotta cheese called for by a lot of other recipes. Crepes made with milk instead of water have a better, more well-rounded flavor. Browning only half the veal ensures great flavor, while the rest is left soft and tender. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 9- by 13-inch baking dish, 10-inch nonstick pan or crepe pan, hand blender or countertop blender (optional) NOTES: The ragù and tomato sauce can both be prepared up to 5 days in advance and kept refrigerated. The entire dish can also be assembled in the baking dish up to 1 day in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to bake; the baking time will be longer if the manicotti is cold from the fridge, so adjust accordingly. INGREDIENTS For the Ragù: 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 large (9-ounce; 275g) yellow onion, minced 1 medium (5-ounce; 150g) carrot, minced 4 medium cloves garlic, minced 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, stems discarded and needles minced 2 pounds (900g) ground veal, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup (240ml) dry white wine 1 cup (240ml) whole milk 1 bay leaf For the Crepes: 2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces; 280g) 4 large eggs 2 1/2 cups (600ml) whole milk Kosher salt Unsalted butter, for the pan For the Béchamel: 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter 4 tablespoons (60g) all-purpose flour 2 cups (480ml) whole milk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Pinch freshly grated nutmeg To Assemble: 2 cups (480ml) tomato sauce, such as Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce, Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce, or Fresh Tomato Sauce, divided Parmigiano Reggiano, for grating DIRECTIONS 1. For the Ragù: In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to turn golden, about 6 minutes. Add rosemary and half of veal and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot frequently, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes; make sure to break up veal into tiny bits as you go. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Add remaining veal and cook, breaking it up into small bits while scraping bottom of pot, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom and sides of pot, until raw alcohol smell cooks off, about 5 minutes. Add milk and bay leaf, bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, until ragù is thick and meat is tender, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper; keep warm. 3. Meanwhile, Make the Crepes: Line a large plate or baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, eggs, milk, and a large pinch of salt until smooth. Heat a 10-inch nonstick or crepe pan over medium-high heat. Add a small pat of butter and cook until melted, swirling to fully coat pan. 4. Add a ladleful of batter (about 3/4 cup; 175ml) to pan and immediately swirl to form a large, thin pancake. Cook until top of crepe begins to look dry and bottom is starting to brown, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, make sure crepe is free of pan, then flip with a spatula or your fingertips. (You can also toss and catch the crepe if you feel comfortable doing that.) Cook until second side is lightly browned, then transfer to parchment-lined plate or baking sheet. 5. Continue making crepes with remaining batter, adding more butter to pan each time and stacking crepes as you go. Set aside. 6. For the Béchamel: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat (do not allow it to brown). Add flour and whisk to form a paste. Continue to cook, stirring, until raw flour scent is gone, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream, or in increments of a couple of tablespoons at a time, whisking thoroughly and getting into all corners of the pan to maintain a homogeneous texture. Sauce will initially become very thick, then get very thin once all the milk is added. 7. Heat, stirring, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 4 minutes. 8. Season with salt and pepper. Add nutmeg. If any lumps form, whisk thoroughly to remove them and smooth out sauce, or use a hand blender or countertop blender if lumps are particularly large or tough. Keep béchamel warm and press plastic wrap against its surface to prevent a skin from forming. 9. To Assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Mix 1 1/4 cups (300ml) béchamel sauce into veal ragù. In a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup (240ml) tomato sauce in an even layer. 10. Working with 1 crepe at a time, set a crepe on a work surface and spoon a generous amount of ragù in a line slightly off center. Roll up crepe to form a stuffed tube and carefully transfer to baking dish. Continue filling and rolling crepes and arranging them alongside each other in baking dish until dish is full. You will likely have several crepes (this recipe intentionally makes extra to allow for a few duds and mistakes) and a small amount of ragù left over, which can be reserved for another use. 11. Spoon remaining béchamel in an even layer on top of rolled crepes, then top with an even layer of remaining tomato sauce. Grate Parmigiano Reggiano all over. 12. Bake manicotti in oven until heated through and lightly browned on top, about 25 minutes. Serve.
