Lemon Scallion Chicken

Last night's dinner was supposed to be chicken picatta, but I didn't have capers so it transformed into this:

 

Flexibility is a useful trait, especially in the kitchen. I try to keep the pantry stocked with essential ingredients, but occasionally I overlook a few. So when that happens I substitute, and in this case I had a bunch of slightly wilted scallions that needed to be used, so lemon scallion chicken it would be. I was also eager to try out my new mallet (purchased through  Michael Ruhlman's Open Sky shop) and pounding chicken breasts is step one in this recipe. 

Just a quick aside on OpenSky. This new e-commerce site allows talented food folks like Michael to recommend products that they personally love, and use in their own kitchen. OpenSky sources the products Michael recommends and then they're offered through his "virtual shop" at competitive prices. It's a personal recommendation from a person you trust. So far I'm a satisfied customer.

Now back to making Lemon Scallion Chicken:

4 boneless chicken breasts (organic)

1/3 cup of whole wheat flour

1 lemon

1 tbsp of fresh chopped parsley

1/2 cup chicken stock (packaged is fine)

1 bunch of scallions

Cover the the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound until they are about 1/4 inch thick. This mallet has a flat side, the two sides you can see here, and a side with smaller bumps. I pounded the breasts with the smaller bump side and then the flat side:

Add about 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to your saute pan, then heat the oil. Dredge the breasts in some whole wheat pastry flour, then place in the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cook for about 4 minutes on each side:

Place the cooked breast on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Now add 1 bunch of sliced scallions to the pan and saute for a few minutes:

Add a tablespoon of fresh parsley, chicken stock, and the juice of one lemon. Sprinkle with a little of the leftover flour to thicken. Place the breasts on a platter and pour the sauce over them. These chicken breasts were juicy and oh, so tender! Michael's magic mallet did the trick.