Serves 3
I can hear the deafening cries of “Where’s the seasoning?!” from here – but I promise you, while this dish may seem incredibly basic, it reflects the true magic of Italian home cooking – its ability to transform very few ingredients into something complex and special. My papà made this for me constantly when I was growing up and it never fails to satisfy; its simplicity renders it the perfect cheap, mid-week meal that takes barely half an hour to make. I know that it might be tempting to commit to a four-hour ragù to prove your Mediterranean-chef credentials, but I swear – if you want to eat like real Italians do, look no further. And, of course, enjoy!
Ingredients
For the Piccatine:
400g chicken breast mini fillets
1 1/2 whole lemons
100g butter
Plain flour (for coating)
Fresh sage
For the Patate Verdi:
500g potatoes (preferably waxy but not essential)
80g flat leaf parsley
Olive oil
Method
For the Piccatine
- Prepare a plate with a 1cm-thick bed of flour and cover your chicken in a generous layer.
- Next, melt your butter in a shallow frying pan on a low heat.
- Place the chicken gently in a large pan and seal on both sides, salting each side as you flip. The aim here is not to brown the meat, but rather to simply cook the flour and lock in the moisture. Medium-low heat is best for this and it shouldn’t take more than 90 seconds per side.
- Next, squeeze the juice of two lemons into the pan and add a quarter of a cup of water. Place a lid on immediately.
- After a minute or two, flip the chicken, place a sage leaf on each piece and re-cover. If the pan is dry by this point, add a little more water – it should be juicy!
- Flip carefully again, ensuring the leaf remains stuck to the meat, so it’s sage-side-down.
- Simmer for another two minutes to allow the leaf to soften, and then serve, drizzling a little of the sauce on each piece.
For the Patate Verdi
- Put a pot of water on the stove and while you wait for it to boil, peel the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into 4cm x 4cm chunks and boil till fork-tender.
- Chop the parsley (stalks and leaves) as finely as you can, before adding it to the strained potatoes.
- Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil (the flavour of the oil is key to this dish), salt and pepper, and stir until well combined. It should resemble a cross between whole pieces and mash in texture.
Image by Livio Reichenbach