Paleo Chicken Piccata

Paleo Chicken Piccata

For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
     Trimmed of excess fat, tenderloins removed.  If the breasts are thick, I like to butterfly them so that they're thinner and cook more evenly.
About 1 cup almond meal
     (almond meal are just ground-up, skin on almonds. Almond flour can also be used, but I prefer the flavor of the meal.  To make, just put raw almonds into a food processor and grind as finely as possible.)
Salt and Pepper
Olive or coconut oil--enough to put a shallow layer in the bottom of a large skillet


For the sauce:
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 Tablespoons)
Salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (don't use a garlic press--it is too fine, and will cause the garlic to burn easily
1 1/2 Cups Chicken broth
1/2 lemon, ends trimmed, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons whipping cream or 1/2 and 1/2 (sorry, it's not completely dairy-free)
1 teaspoon *xanthan gum (can also use 1 teaspoon cornstarch)
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black pepper

1. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts, then dredge in almond meal. When dredging, really push the meal into the chicken so that you get a good layer.







2. Heat oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot (shimmering but not smoking) place chicken breasts in the pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Be careful to check often as the almond meal browns quickly. If chicken is not quite done, or juices are not running clear yet, place the breasts in a 350 degree oven until cooked all the way through. (To bake breaded chicken, I like to lay the chicken on top of a cooling rack that is placed a baking sheet so that the bottom doesn't get soggy or stick to the pan)






3. Set chicken aside while you make the sauce




1.  Add the shallot and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the oil left in the skillet, return to medium-low heat, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the broth and lemon slices, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture measures 1 cup, about 5 minutes. 

2.  Pour any accumulated chicken juices into simmering sauce.  Whisk the milk and cornstarch together in a small bowl, or if using xanthan gum to thicken, add milk into sauce then lightly DUST the xanthan gum over the top of the sauce.  Try to sprinkle as finely as possible to lessen clumping.  (If it does clump up a little, don't worry about it.  It doesn't really have a flavor or texture)  Continue to simmer the sauce until it has thickened, about 1 minute.  Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, capers, and parsley,and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.