Periodically I go through my boxes and piles of recipes with every intention of organizing them into folders by category. Sometimes a few recipes get put into files, but invariably the recipes just get re-shuffled into smaller piles which ultimately turn back into large piles. Prompted by a search for a certain recipe, this vicious cycle taken on a ritual-like undertaking. More often than not I can usually remember the format the recipe I am looking for takes. I may have lost a few over the years, but if a handwritten, typed out, or clipped from a magazine recipe is somewhere in the saved recipe abyss, I will find it. As my visual memory hasn't failed me....yet.
I knew the recipe for Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce was on a half sheet of paper. A xeroxed copy of the one originally printed in the December 1994 issue of Bon Appetit. Long ago, in a moment of weaknesses or rather I should say in a moment of being put under a significant amount of pressure to become more of a minimalist, most of my Bon Appetit collection was put out on the curb. However, before the years of dog-earred copies of those coveted food magazines were tossed in the garbage can, I leafed through most of them tearing out or copying the recipes I didn't think I could live without or hadn't committed to memory. As this would be in the days before recipes could be found online aka the dark ages. Still to this day, I regret being coerced into doing something so reckless.
Much changed in the food world in the last 24 years, including my knowledge of food as well as some of my tastes. Way back when I first made the Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce I didn't serve it with roasted artichokes and/or capers. Not only because those two ingredients weren't included in the recipe, but because they were ones normally not found in the food I typically made or ate. For those of you who have followed this blog from the beginning, you know I had a relatively sheltered early food life.
Taking inspiration from a dish served at a local restaurant, I decided the addition of roasted artichokes and capers would bring another dimension of flavor to an already flavorful dish. In other words, I was convinced these two ingredients would take this entree from good to great. And it did just that. Besides making some ingredient additions to the recipe, I remembered the amount of the incredibly luscious lemon sauce needed to be doubled. In the original Bon Appetit recipe, there was barely enough to go around.
Served over a bed of angel hair or linguine pasta, this Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce w/ Roasted Artichokes and Capers is transformed into one of those 'drop-the-mic' meals.
There are some critical timing elements to this recipe. One being cooking the pasta according to package directions right before the sauce thickens to the right consistency.
To ensure your cooked pasta doesn't end up in a clump, reserve a quarter cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander. Once drained, transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl and immediately mix in the reserved pasta water along with a quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil.
There are some critical timing elements to this recipe. One being cooking the pasta according to package directions right before the sauce thickens to the right consistency.
To ensure your cooked pasta doesn't end up in a clump, reserve a quarter cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander. Once drained, transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl and immediately mix in the reserved pasta water along with a quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil.
I realized a little too late I should have cut the sautéed chicken breasts into thick one inch strips before placing them on top of the bed of pasta. Not only would this have made for more a beautiful presentation it would have made serving easier as well.
To assemble the dish, begin by layering the pasta, followed by arranging the strips of sautéed chicken breasts over the top. Lay the pieces or stems of the roasted artichokes along the sides of the dish as well as in-between the strips of chicken. Spoon the lemon cream sauce over the top and along the sides of the platter before sprinkling on the capers, grated chards of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and leaves of parsley.
This Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce w/ Roasted Artichokes and Capers is an extremely versatile dish. It would be perfect served at a luncheon, as a weeknight dinner, or at an intimate gathering of family and/or friends. Paired with a simple salad and a really great white wine, you have all of the makings of one those EPIC meals. You know the kind where no one really wants to leave the table or completely forgets their table manners as they lick their plates.
Post script: In spite of now posting this recipe to the blog where it will hopefully live in cyberspace forever, I won't or rather I can't throw away that half sheet piece of xeroxed paper containing the 24 year old recipe. It's all that now remains of that particular beloved December 1994 Bon Appetit issue. I can hardly wait to share with you a rich, chocolate and caramel dessert recipe from a 1991 Bon Appetit issue as the holidays approach. I rediscovered it when I was looking for the Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce recipe.
Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce w/ Roasted Artichokes and Capers (based in part on the Sautéed Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce recipe as shared in the December 1994 issue of Bon Appetit)
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 to 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons dry vermouth
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
18-36 ounces artichokes with stems or artichoke hearts, packed in olive oil (I used one 18 ounce jar of artichoke stems, but next time will use two.)
3-4 Tablespoons capers
1 pound angel hair or linguine pasta
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish
Optional: Garnish the platter with thin slices of lemon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. Pour artichokes and oil onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast artichokes for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. To keep warm place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan.
3. Using a mallet, pound chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper to 1/2" thickness.
4. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through. Approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil to keep warm.
6. Pour butter from the skillet and discard. Be careful not to remove any of the scraps sticking to the pan as this is where some of the sauce's flavor comes from.
7. Return pan to stove-top and add vermouth, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Over medium-high heat bring mixture to a boil for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Add cream and chicken broth. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and reduce until the mixture reaches sauce consistency. Approximately 12-14 minutes.
9. Add in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and remove sauce from the hot burner while you make the angel hair pasta.
10. Make pasta according to package directions. Reserve a quarter cup of the pasta water before draining. Pour the cooked pasta to a large bowl and toss with the reserved water and olive oil. Arrange pasta on a large platter.
11. If sauce has cooled, reheat over low heat while arranging sliced chicken breasts and artichokes over the pasta. Note: Recommend cutting the chicken breasts in one inch strips before placing on platter.
12 Pour sauce over the chicken and along sides of the platter. Sprinkle capers and remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley.
13. Serve immediately.
Notes: (1) Have all of your ingredients in place before beginning making this dish. (2) Begin roasting artichokes first, then immediately begin sautéing the chicken. (3) Be careful not to overcrowd the large skillet with the chicken or it will 'steam' rather brown. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to sauté the chicken breasts in two batches. (4) I finely grated the cheese for the sauce, but grated in thin pieces to top the dish. (5) This is a perfect weeknight dinner, luncheon dish, or dinner party main course. Serve with a salad and some really great wine. (6) Leftovers reheat up beautifully using the microwave. (7) You will need two large sized lemons to get the amount of zest and juice called for in the recipe.
