Italian-American; chicken piccata developed from the Italian veal piccata (Milanese tradition) adapted with chicken in the United States c. mid-20th century.
Chicken piccata — the Italian-American preparation of thin-pounded chicken in a lemon-caper-butter sauce — traditionally uses a light flour dredge for the chicken that is not gluten-free. The substitution of almond flour (or a combination of almond flour and rice flour) produces a coating that adheres well, crisps in the pan, and doesn't make the sauce grainy. The sauce itself — lemon juice, chicken stock, capers, butter, and white wine — contains no gluten. This means the GF adaptation of chicken piccata is minimal: only the dredge changes, and the technique and flavour are preserved entirely. The thin pounding of the chicken (to 5mm) is the fundamental technique — it ensures even, fast cooking that keeps the breast moist rather than dried out in the centre.
Pound chicken breasts to 5mm even thickness — a thick breast cooks unevenly; thin, even pounding ensures the breast cooks before the exterior burns Almond flour dredge: season with salt and pepper, dredge lightly just before cooking — almond flour burns faster than wheat flour at high heat High heat for searing — the chicken must develop a golden crust quickly; medium heat produces steaming rather than searing Deglaze with white wine immediately after removing chicken — scrape up all fond for the sauce Add stock and reduce before lemon — add lemon juice off heat at the very end to preserve its bright, volatile citrus aroma Mount with cold butter at the finish — cold butter beaten into the hot sauce creates the characteristic gloss
Capers stored in brine are better than salt-packed capers for this application — rinse well; salt-packed capers need extended soaking before using A slice of fresh lemon added to the pan alongside the chicken during the sauce step infuses additional lemonflavour into the sauce For the crispiest GF coating: a mixture of almond flour and rice flour (1:1) produces a more neutral flavour than almond alone and crisps more evenly
Thick, uneven chicken — undercooked centre, overcooked exterior; always pound Almond flour dredge too thick — a thin, even coating is correct; excess coating makes the sauce cloudy Not enough heat for the sear — chicken that steams rather than sears lacks the golden crust that provides the flavour contrast with the bright sauce Lemon juice added too early — lemon cooked in the sauce loses its brightness; add off heat at the very end Forgetting the capers — the capers are the piccata's distinctive element; without them it's a lemon butter chicken, not a piccata