chicken piccata with oranges and fennel

the best way to eat chicken breasts this season

i don’t know about you, but over the past few weeks i’ve been eating more than my fair share of oranges of various types, especially mandarins and blood oranges. i’ve been buying armfuls of them up whenever and wherever i see them, loading the fruit and veg drawer of my refrigerator to bursting and joyfully pulling out one or two heavy rounds to accompany every meal. blood oranges are sweet enough to feel like dessert, so i’ve been eating them often after dinner, too. i think it goes without saying (but i’m going to say it anyway) that they’re so good when they’re in season, as most produce is.

my favorite way to eat mandarins and clementines is to simply peel them by hand, removing any thick stringy bits of pith before popping the juicy segments into my mouth. my favorite way to eat most other oranges however, is slightly more involved. i’ll prep them as if i’m going to segment them (trimming off the top and bottom then patiently running the knife around the curved sides to remove the peel and pith while keeping as much of the flesh still intact) but instead of slicing between the membranes, i’ll simply slice the round into pieces through the center, holding them up to the light and poking any seeds out before storing for later or eating immediately.

all that being (maybe unnecessarily?) said, this chicken piccata infused with oranges and fennel is in the running for another of my favorite ways to eat in season oranges lately. it follows pretty much the exact outline of your classic chicken piccata (dredge chicken cutlets, fry cutlets, make pan sauce, serve) so it’s just about as quick to pull together and easy to eat. i think it may be on of the best ways to eat a chicken breast.

if you’ve been here for awhile, you already know i’m a fan of chicken piccata, as i’ve made both a sandwich and a pot pie inspired by it, so it was time to do a take closer to the classic. with the glut of oranges i’ve had filling my fridge lately, i thought it might be fun to swap out the lemon and add plump orange segments into the mix, and the fennel seemed like a natural pairing.

even though oranges aren’t generally as sour as lemons, the sauce tastes just as bold and acidic thanks to the addition of caper brine and the juicy sweetness of the orange is a welcome counterpoint. i like using plain old navel oranges here, but you could use your favorite member of the orange family, adjusting the acidity with more or less brine to balance out the sweetness or adding a pinch of sugar if the sauce tastes too sour. a heap of thinly sliced, tender fennel ensures a heartier dish that can be served simply with a starch and no separate vegetable side; i like this best with creamy polenta, but warm bread, buttered noodles, steamed rice, or even a simple risotto would also be nice.

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this time two years ago:

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chicken piccata with oranges and fennel

serves 2

4 cloves garlic

1 fennel bulb

2 navel oranges (substitute: blood oranges, valencia oranges, tangerines, etc.)

1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds (optional)

2 chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons capers, plus brine to taste

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1. peel and thinly slice 4 cloves garlic. trim the top off 1 fennel bulb. halve the bulb through the core, then turn each half so the cut side and core on the cutting board. halve each half, and angle your knife to slice out the core. thinly slice all the fennel. if there are fresh fronds, reserve those for garnish.

2. slice the top and bottom off 1 orange and place one cut side down on the cutting board. slice from top to bottom, gently curving the knife around the flesh to remove the peel and pith around the entire orange, leaving as much flesh as possible intact. pick up the orange with your non dominant hand and set a bowl under your hand and the orange. use your knife to carefully slice between the membranes and segment the orange, dropping each segment into the bowl below. once all segments are removed, squeeze the juice from the membranes into the bowl and discard. (here’s a quick video on how to segment an orange which can be helpful). halve the second orange and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the segments.

3. grind 1 tablespoons fennel seeds into a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. use a sharp chef’s knife to halve 2 chicken breasts and make 4 cutlets; here’s a video if you need a visual. place one cutlet on a large piece of parchment paper, then fold the parchment over to cover the cutlet. using the back of a small frying pan (or a rolling pin, or the flat side of a meat pounder) pound the cutlet until it’s about 1/4 inch (0.6cm) thick. remove and use the same piece of parchment to pound the remaining cutlets. season each cutlet on both sides salt, pepper and the ground fennel.

4. add 3 tablespoons flour to a large rimmed plate. add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large frying pan over medium high heat. dredge 2 cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess before adding to the frying pan and letting them cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom is crisp and golden. flip and let cook for another minute or two, until the other side is golden brown. remove to a separate plate, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil then dredge and fry remaining cutlets.

5. add 1 tbsp butter, garlic, 2 tablespoons capers and brine, and 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes to the same pan over low heat. add the fennel and orange juice (not the segments) and turn heat back up to medium. once the fennel is very tender and soft, about 8 - 10 minutes, remove from the heat. add 3 tablespoons cold butter and all the orange segments, swirling the pan until you get an emulsified sauce.

6. taste and season with salt, pepper and more caper brine, then add back the chicken cutlets to warm through before serving. i like to serve this over creamy polenta but warm bread, buttered noodles, steamed rice, or even a simple risotto would also be nice.

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more from darn good:

roasted red pepper and tomato soup with chunky chorizo-y croutons

caramelized leek and kimchi käsespätzle

crispy cardamom cereal

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