2 lemons
4 (6oz. each) boneless and skinless chicken-breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour
6 tbsp. olive oil
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup dry white wine (see below for guidance)
1 cup canned chicken broth
2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
Squeeze the juice from one-and-a-half of the lemons and reserve. Lay the remaining
half-lemon flat side down, and cut into very thin slices with a paring
knife. Remove the pits and set aside the lemon slices.
Place the chicken pieces, two at a time, between two sheets of plastic wrap
and pound them with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of
about 1/4". Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour
to coat both sides lightly, and tap off excess flour. Heat 3 tbsp. of
of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a wide, heavy skillet
over medium heat until the butter is foaming. Add as many of the chicken
as will fit without touching and cook until golden brown on the underside,
about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is lightly
browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with
remaining chicken.
Remove all chicken from the pan. Pour off the fat and carefully wipe out the
skillet with a wad of paper towels. Pour in the remaining 3 tablespoons
olive oil and add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the garlic and lemon
slices. Cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet, until the garlic is golden
brown, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set aside.
Pour wine into the skillet and bring to a vigorous boil and cook until the wine
is reduced in volume by half. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a
boil and cook until slightly syrupy -- about 4 minutes. Add the reserved
lemon juice, to taste. Return the chicken to the skillet, turning the cutlets
in the sauce until they are warmed through and coated with sauce. Swirl
in the parsley and divide the chicken among warm plates. Spoon the
sauce over them, including some of capers and olives in each spoonful.
Decorate the tops of the chicken with the reserved lemon slices.
BRASIED SPINACH
3 large bunches of leaf spinach or 2 10-ounce bags of spinach
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, or to taste
If you like, leave the stems on tender, young, or flat-leaf spinach, but remove
the stems from tougher, thick, curly spinach leaves. Wash the leaves in a
sink full of cold water, swishing them around to remove the sand and grit.
Then let them float a minute or two to give the dirt a chance to settle to
the bottom of the sink. Lift the leaves from the sink with your hands or a
large wire skimmer into a colander to drain.
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat. Whack the garlic
cloves with the side of a knife and toss them into the pan. Cook, shaking
the pan until golden -- about 2 minutes. Carefully stir in as many of the
leaves - with the water that clings to them - as will fit comfortably into
the pan. Cook, stirring until the leaves begin to wilt. Continue adding
more spinach, a handful at a time, until all the spinach is in the pan.
Season lightly with salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook. Stir occasionally
until the spinach is tender -- about 8 minutes. If all the liquid in the
pan evaporates and the greens begin to stick to the pan, sprinkle a
tablespoon or two of water over them. Check the seasoning, add red pepper
and salt if necessary. Serve immediately with the chicken
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