Chicken Piccata Sandwich

August 31, 2012

An easy to make chicken sandwich with the wonderful salty lemon flavor of Chicken Piccata – a classic Italian meal with a fun new twist.

Mezzetta invited me to participate in their “Make That Sandwich” contest with a grand prize of $25,000. I was mulling over entering the contest during dinner, which that night happened to be chicken piccata made with Mezzetta capers. That’s when it occurred to me that a chicken piccata sandwich would be a great idea.

Chicken piccata is one of my favorite Italian meals. I love the bright briny lemon flavor. To incorporate the chicken piccata flavors into a sandwich, I decided to add a fantastic Artichoke Caper Slaw instead of the typical lettuce and tomato.

I also added an easy-to-make Lemon Aoli (mayonnaise) to add another lemon layer, a touch of garlic, and a messy creaminess to the sandwich. All served on a chewy, but still soft, toasted ciabatta roll. This sandwich is a winner in my book. I hope Mezzetta thinks so too.

Chicken Piccata Sandwich

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 4 small (6 oz. each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • Pepper (to taste)
  • All purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 ciabatta rolls, split

Artichoke Caper Slaw

  • 2 tablespoons Mezzetta Non-Pareil Capers
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Mezzetta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6.5 oz jar Mezzetta Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
  • 6 oz. broccoli slaw

Easy Lemon Aoli

  • 1/4 teaspoon Mezzetta Crushed Garlic
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Chicken

Using the flat side of a mallet, gently pound chicken into 1/2 inch thick cutlets.

Dissolve salt and sugar in 1/2 cup boiling water. Combine with remaining 3 1/2 cups cold water in a Ziploc bag, add chicken cutlets. Seal and refrigerate for one half hour.

Prepare Artichoke Slaw and Easy Lemon Aoli while chicken is brining.

Remove cutlets from water and pat dry. Season cutlets lightly with pepper, then lightly coat in flour.

In a large cast iron skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil and butter are sizzling hot, add chicken cutlets.

Saute cutlets 3 – 5 minutes on each side until chicken is cooked through and golden brown. *

Caper and Artichoke Slaw

Finely chop capers. In a small bowl combine capers, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add a pinch of fresh ground pepper.

In a medium bowl combine chopped artichoke hearts and broccoli slaw. Pour dressing over the slaw mixture and stir to coat completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Lemon Aoli

Mix together garlic, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the sandwich

Lightly brush cut side of ciabatta rolls with butter and toast under broiler. When toasted, spread bottom half of the roll with Lemon Aoli. Top with a cooked chicken breast, then Artichoke Caper Slaw, and finally the top half of the ciabatta roll. Serve immediately.

*Tips: If your chicken breasts are large, you may have to brown the chicken in batches. If the chicken browns too quickly, before it is cooked through, you can finish cooking the chicken breasts in the oven at 350º until the internal temperature is 165º

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