Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs, roughly crushed by hand if very large
• 2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, pounded to about 1/4 inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh juice from 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Set three broad, shallow bowls on your counter. Put the flour in the first bowl, the beaten eggs in the second, and the panko with the Parmesan cheese in the third. Stir the panko and Parmesan together well. Line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper. Sprinkle the chicken cutlets on all sides with salt and pepper. Bread them one at a time: use your left hand to coat a cutlet in flour, then shake away the extra. Move it to the eggs, and use your right hand to turn it until both sides are coated. Lift it up so the extra egg can drip back into the bowl, then place it in the bread crumb mixture. With your left hand, spoon crumbs over the chicken and press gently, turning it so both sides get an even coating. Set the cutlet on the prepared baking sheet, then do the same with the remaining cutlets.
2. Pour 1/4 inch oil into a large skillet. Warm it over high heat until it shimmers and is nearly smoking, about 375 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
3. Cook the cutlets in batches, using tongs or your fingers to carefully ease them into the skillet, placing them away from you so the hot oil does not splash back. Fry while gently moving the pan and shifting the cutlets so they brown evenly, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a lively, steady bubble, until the first side is crisp and browned, about three minutes. Turn the cutlets over and cook until the second side is crisp and browned too, about three minutes longer. Move them to paper towels to drain, and salt them immediately. Repeat with the rest of the cutlets, adding more oil if needed.
4. Pour off the oil from the skillet, leaving one tablespoon behind. Add the wine and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, cooking until the harsh alcohol aroma has mostly disappeared, about two minutes. Add the capers and butter, whisking the whole time, until the butter is melted. Turn the heat down to medium and keep whisking as the sauce reduces into a creamy emulsion; the exact time will vary depending on your burner and pan. If the sauce reduces too far and separates at any point, whisk in one tablespoon cold water to bring it back together. Whisk in the lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and take the pan off the heat.
5. Place the cutlets on a platter and spoon the warm butter sauce over the top. Serve right away.