Sponsored by Simply Safe, the security system experts trust. The website guides you through the process of customizing your system to your needs. Save 20% on your SimplySafe security system when you sign up for an interactive monitoring plan and get your first month free. Visit simplysafe.com/babish to learn more.

To make a chicken piccata, we're going to start by trimming off any excess fat or connective tissue. This will help the chicken cook more evenly and retain its moisture. Next, we'll cut the breast in half width-wise, opening it up like a book. If we get the chicken nice and thin, it's going to cook faster and be less stringy.

Now that our chicken is prepped, let's cover it with plastic wrap and pound flat using a meat mallet or other heavy flat thing. This will help flatten the breast and make it more uniform in thickness. Once the chicken is pounded, we'll dredge it in some lightly seasoned flour. I'm using just a little kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, maybe some dried oregano or basil. The goal here is to keep things simple and let the flavors of the dish shine through.

After dredging the chicken, we'll dip and flip it until it's thoroughly coated with the flour mixture. If you let it hang out for a minute or two, which can help the flour's adherence, even better! Now that our chicken is floured, it's time to heat up some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. We're using just a few tablespoons of oil, but enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Once the oil is hot, we'll drop in both breasts and sear for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Don't worry if some stuff sticks – that's flavor! As it's sometimes called, fond. Just give it a fresh squirt of oil and sauté a few tablespoons of capers in there for about 30 seconds or until they smell extra caper-y.

Now we're going to de-glaze the pan with one cup of preferably homemade chicken stock. This is our chance to scrape up all that good stuff off the bottom of the pot. Before squeezing in the juice of one lemon and cooking down until reduced by about half, let's add three tablespoons worth of cold, cubed butter. Whisking to emulsify into a creamy sauce – this is where we'll deposit our rested chicken breasts with their resting juices.

Once we've whisked in the butter, it's time to turn the heat back on and coat the chicken breasts with the sauce. We're going to let them rest for a minute or two, allowing the residual heat of the pan to cook the chicken through. Now that our chicken is coated, it's time to plate it up with a pile of buttered spaghetti. And there you have it – a non-red sauce staple of red sauce Italian joints.

How does it taste? It tastes just how you're imagining it! The combination of crispy fried capers, creamy chicken sauce, and tender pasta is absolute perfection. Now that we've got our basic recipe down, let's talk about some tweaks to amp up the flavor, texture, and presentation of this dish.

One of the most important lessons you can learn in the kitchen is how to take a great recipe and make it your own. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a crowd, there are always ways to add a little extra something to elevate the dish. In this case, we've added some fried capers on top – crunchy, salty, and absolutely delicious.

Another tweak we could try is adding some sautéed mushrooms to the pan before finishing the pasta in the decadent wine sauce. This would help preserve their color and texture, making them a great addition to the dish. And finally, let's not forget about the importance of presentation. Twirling the pasta into an attractive nest using your carving fork and soup ladle trick can make all the difference in a dish.

Thanks again to Simply Safe for sponsoring this episode! I was able to set up my security system in under an hour, including the new wireless outdoor security camera. I also have sensors covering every room, window, and door – plus a temperature sensor and carbon monoxide detector. With their interactive monitoring service, the police will be called after any alerts – and it costs less than $1 per day! Save 20% on your SimplySafe security system when you sign up for an interactive monitoring plan and get your first month free. Visit simplysafe.com/babish to learn more.

Light music plays as we wrap up this episode of Simply Safe's security tips.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- This episode issponsored by Simply Safe,the security system experts trust.The website guides you through the processof customizing your system to your needs.Save 20% on your SimplySafe security system.When you sign up for aninteractive monitoring planand get your first month free.Visit simplysafe.com/babish to learn more.(upbeat music)All right, so the chickenaspect of chicken picattais usually butterfly.Before we do that, we'regonna start by trimming offany excess fat or connective tissue.Then starting on thethicker side of the breast,we're cutting the breastin half width-wise,opening it up like a book.Then if we get the chicken nice and thin,it's going to cook fasterretain more moisture and be less stringy.So we're covering the chicken breastwith plastic wrap and pounding flatusing a meat mallet orother heavy flat thing.Next up we're dredging the chickenin some lightly seasoned flour.Nothing more than a little kosher saltand freshly ground black pepper,maybe some dried oregano or basil.Dip and flip the chickenuntil thoroughly coated.Maybe you let them hangout for a minute or two,which can help the flour's adherence.Then we're headed over the stove top,where we've got a fewtablespoons of vegetable oilshimmering over medium, highheat in a large skillet.Drop in both breastsand sear for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.If some stuff sticks, don'tworry about it, that's flavor.Or as it's sometimes called, fond.Give it a fresh squirt of oiland saute a few tablespoonsof capers in there,just for about 30 secondsor until they smell extra caper-y.Then over medium heat,we're de-glazing the panwith one cup of preferablyhomemade chicken stock,seizing the opportunity to scrape upall that good stuff offthe bottom of the pot.Before squeezing in the juice of one lemonand cooking down untilreduced by about half.Before mounting with butter, that is,killing the heat and addingthree tablespoons worthof cold, cubed butter.Whisking to emulsify into a creamy sauceinto which we're gonna depositour rested chicken breasts,with their resting juices.Turning to coat and allowing to reheatin the residual heat of the pan.Plate it up with a pileof buttered spaghettiAnd there you have it,a non-red sauce stapleof red sauce Italianjoints, chicken picatta.Make sure to top up with extra sauce,capers and chopped parsley.And it looks pretty handsome and familiarbut how does it taste?It tastes just how you're imagining it.Sauce-y, lemon-y, chicken-y, caper-y,an undisputable classic.But how can we amp it up?First we can sprinkle kosher salton both sides of our butterflied breastsand let them hang out at room temperaturefor half an hour, bothdeeply seasoning themand helping them retain moisture.Now you might be asking yourself,is this guy drying off capers?And the answer to that question is yes.That's because I'm gonna briefly fry themin some shimmering hot oil,creating crispy fried capers.A perfect garnish forsuch a caper-centric dish.We're gonna spoon them outand let them drain on paper towels.And then we've got a few tablespoonsof nice caper-flavored oilto saute our chicken in.Same here, three to fiveminutes on each sideuntil browned and cooked through.To prevent things from burning,try to flip the chicken in the same spot.It's gonna mean lessspots of uncovered fondthat can more easily burn.Take out the chicken and this timewe're gonna saute one smallchopped shallot in there.Add a little more oil if necessary.And then we're gonna addtwo cloves of minced garlic.Sauteing for about 30seconds or until fragrantbefore de-glazing withhalf a cup of chicken stockand half a cup of chickenwine, I mean, white wine.Add two tablespoons of capers,the juice of one lemon,optionally its zest.And while this simmers andgently reduces by half,we're gonna start cooking our pastain a nearby shallow pot of water.This time, in addition to atablespoon of chopped parsley,I've got a teaspoon each ofchopped basil and oregano,and for more lemony flavor,as well as presentation,a few slices of lemon.Once this guy's about reduced by half,I'm gonna add the chicken breastsback to the sauce to coatthem, allowing them to simmerand cook the rest of theway through if necessary.Remove them and the lemonslices from the sauce.Then we're gonna add inour chopped fresh herbs.Let those simmer togetherfor about 30 seconds.And then once the pasta isabout a minute shy of cooked,we're adding it directly to the saucealong with a half cupof pasta cooking water.Mix this guy up and simmerfor another one to two minutesuntil the pasta is done cooking.Kill the heat, mount with three,four tablespoons of butter,season with kosher salt andfreshly ground black pepper.Make sure that sauceis nice and emulsifiedand creamy before serving.Maybe using the old carvingfork and a soup ladle trick,twirling the pasta into an attractive neston which we're gonna dropone of our chicken breasts,some lemon slices, extra fresh herbsover top for a pop of flavor and color.And of course, for a littlecrunch, our fried capers.And there you have it,the same dish in spiritbut a few tweaks to amp upflavor, texture and presentation.Which is one of the most important lessonsyou can learn in the kitchen.Little ways to amplifyyour existing favorites.You could also apply what you've seen hereto other chicken andpasta dishes like Marsala.In that case, you might sautesome extra mushrooms separatelyto preserve their color and texture.Then likewise finish the pastain the decadent wine saucebefore mounting with butter.Thanks again to Simply Safefor sponsoring this episode.I was able to a set of mysecurity system in under an hourincluding the new wirelessoutdoor security camera.I also have sensors to coverevery room, window and doorplus a temperature sensorand carbon monoxide detector.With their interactive monitoring service,the police will be called after any alertsand it costs less than $1 per day.Save 20% on your SimplySafe security systemwhen you sign up for aninteractive monitoring planand get your first month free.Visit simplysafe.com/babish to learn more.(light music)\n"