Piccata facts for kids
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Piccata is a yummy dish often made with thin slices of meat. It's usually chicken or veal. The meat is coated in flour and then cooked until it's golden brown. It's served with a special sauce. This sauce is made with lemon juice, butter, and capers. It's a popular meal in many places.
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What Does Piccata Mean?
The word "Piccata" comes from Italy. Sometimes people spell it as "picatta" or "pichotta." When we talk about cooking, "piccata" means "to be pounded flat."
When you see "piccata" on a menu, it means the food is prepared in a special way. It means the meat or fish is sliced thin. Then it's quickly cooked and served. The dish always comes with a sauce. This sauce has lemon, butter, and other spices.
Types of Piccata Dishes
In Italy, piccata is traditionally made with veal. This dish is called piccata di vitello al limone. It means "veal piccata with lemon."
However, in the United States, chicken piccata is much more common. It's a very popular way to enjoy chicken. You can also find other kinds of piccata. Some people make it with swordfish. There's even a meatless version using seitan.
How to Make Piccata
Making piccata involves a few simple steps. First, a piece of meat, like a chicken breast, is prepared.
Preparing the Meat
The chicken breast is cut in a special way. It can be "butterflied," which means cutting it almost in half and opening it flat. Or, it can be sliced thinly across its width. Then, the meat is made even thinner. Cooks use a meat tenderizer to gently flatten it. They often place the meat between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. This helps keep it neat.
After flattening, the meat is seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, it's lightly coated in flour. This coating helps the meat get a nice golden crust. Finally, the floured meat is cooked in butter or olive oil until it's browned.
Making the Sauce
The delicious piccata sauce is made right in the same pan. This way, it uses all the tasty bits left from cooking the meat. First, lemon juice is added to the pan. Then, white wine or chicken stock is poured in. This liquid is cooked down until it's a bit thicker. This process is called "reduction."
Sometimes, cooks add shallots or garlic for more flavor. Capers are always a key ingredient. They are small, salty flower buds that add a unique taste. Chopped parsley and thin slices of lemon are also often added. Once the sauce has reduced, a bit of butter is stirred in. This makes the sauce smooth and shiny.
Serving Piccata
In the United States, piccata is usually a main meal. It's often served with a side dish. Popular sides include pasta, polenta, or rice. You might also see it with a vegetable.
In Italy, veal piccata is often a secondo. This means it's the second main course. It would be served after a pasta dish or another starchy course.
Images for kids
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Chicken piccata
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Veal piccata
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Swordfish in piccata sauce
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Seitan piccata
See also
In Spanish: Piccata para niños
