Chicken Cutlets with Lemon and Caper Sauce

I found the most amazing cooking magazine through one of my favorite blogs, Fly Through Our Window, called Cook's Country. There are no ads and the recipes are amazing. I love cookbooks and this magazine reads like a glossy cookbook. I'm such a visual cook and love the pretty, colorful pictures. Flip the glossy devils over to the back cover and spin like a globe to pick what to make for dinner. All the photos of what is inside are on the back page. The recipes are so easy! I was so excited about this recipe that I had to go to "the" Twitter and profess my love to the Twitterverse!

Baltiville Nelle Somerville 

@ 

@cpkimball I just made your Chicken Cutlets with Lemon and Capers and am over the moon for the lemon sauce! Love your magazine!

7 Oct 

cpkimball Christopher Kimball 

@ 

@Baltiville Been to moon once but it wasn't because of a lemon sauce! Glad you enjoyed it.

9 Oct 

I just love when famous folks (he has over 40,500 followers) Tweet back. It was my first famous Tweet-back so I have to suggest you all follow @cpkimball. I'm a fan for life and love America's Test Kitchen on PBS. He even answered a question about the farmhouse where they film the show to someone who copied me. Pretty cool. 

I ripped out recipe card from the October 2010 issue. I modified it a bit. You need to log on for a free 14 day trial to get the recipe on-line here. But I truly suggest you get the year long magazine subscription. I'm cancelling the magazines I never read to add this one. I need to simplify the magazine orders at Stone Hill. The stacks are starting to avalanche. 

Start by pounding the chicken breasts between waxed paper. The recipe says to use thin-cut, boneless cutlets. It's a much better value to by a family pack of chicken breasts at Whole Foods (which are usually on sale) and cut them and pound them out yourself.

Set your oven at 200 degrees. Set a cooling rack over a well loved sheet pan. 

To make the crust start by peeling the lemon zest with a good peeler. The best tools make all the difference in the kitchen. I sold knives in high school. Cutco. And it is true. You need the right golf club for each shot, and you need the right tool for each job in the kitchen too. Finely chop the lemon zest with a good Chef's knife. Have someone teach you how to rock your Chef's knife. Best trick in the world. The recipe suggests to add butter to the bread topping, but I skipped that. No offense Cook's Country, but this little Nellie doesn't need any extra butter and honestly you don't need it.

It says, "Use capers packed in brine, not in salt." I used capers in vinegar. I guess that is a brine. Mr. Kimball, are you reading? Is that correct? Vinegar is a brine.

Heat up the vegetable oil and fry your capers.

Until they start to blossom. I used my awesome strainer-spoony tool to scoop them out.

Drain on a paper towel.

I used a garlic, Italian, fresh loaf of bread for the crumbs. It was the only white bread we had in the house. It was also fresh. Not toasted. I think it was the best addition, ever. Add the lemon zest to your mini-Cuise/Smart Stick and pulse the bread and lemon zest together. 

Get organized and set everything out so you can have an assembly line. 

Dredge the chicken in flower. Again, as suggested in other posts, use your tong, tong, tong, tong Tongs when handling the chicken. (Did you know Sisqo, who wrote the Thong Song, is from Baltimore?)

Three minutes on each side. I cooked a tiny bit longer until I could smell the garlic toasting in the bread crumbs.

I made extra pieces and we took it to work for lunch the next day. The chicken is was so moist.

But, BUT....the serious, to-the-moon-action is in the lemon sauce. It's just lemon juice, butter and get this....sugar! Who knew? It's clear this home cook has never been to culinary school but I'm a seasoned catering professional. Why is this the first time I've ever heard of a lemon sauce with sugar, Sugar? Seriously. It. Is. Ah. Mazing! E. said that this dish is top five on the best dishes I've ever made list. Pure bliss to hear the ones you love compliment your cooking, isn't it?

A thousand million thanks to Darby at Fly Through Our Window for the Cook's Country hook up/introduction. A gajillion thanks to Samma at Spice and Sass for leading me to Darby. I enjoy you "good figs" ever so much and learn, and laugh so much from both of your blogs. And to Christopher Kimball, thanks for your Tweets. I've added your blog as a "good fig" as well.