This is another one of my sister’s wonderful recipes! I have to admit that I probably make it more often than her because it is so delicious and easy to make! Any time I need a quick but really good main dish, I turn to this recipe. It is as good or better than anything you will get in a restaurant, so why not give it a try!
What is Scaloppini?
Scaloppini is a type of Italian dish with thinly sliced meat that is sauteed and made with a reduction sauce. It sounds fancy, but it is simple to make. I think what makes this dish special is the addition of dried basil to the sauce. It adds an unexpected and delicious flavor not found in other scaloppini dishes that usually use lemon.
Shortcuts
Here are some shortcuts I use for this dish:
- I buy thinly sliced chicken breasts if I’m planning ahead and cut the thin cutlets into smaller pieces or medallions. If I haven’t planned ahead, I use regular boneless and skinless chicken breasts and cut them vertically because it’s not easy trying to cut a slippery piece of chicken horizontally! I discovered this when trying to get away from a sharp knife and realized that not one of the cut slices was horizontal. By the time I pounded them flat, you couldn’t tell how they had been cut. I also cut the flattened pieces into smaller medallion shapes if necessary.
- Use canned mushrooms in a jar in place of fresh mushrooms to save time.
- Cook this dish in a large skillet to reduce the sauce-reduction time. A larger cooking surface area will let the sauce evaporate quicker than a smaller cooking area.
- Use a cooking thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken as it cooks. This means you will finish cooking sooner and also not overcook the chicken.
- Don’t make a trip to buy white “cooking” wine. If you have dry white drinking wine on hand, use it.
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- salt
- pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (canned or fresh)
Ingredients
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- Place chicken under waxed paper and pound until thin and doubled in length and width. Cut into small cutlets or medallions.
- Dredge chicken in flour and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat butter and oil in a skillet. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Saute in two batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- Add the wine, pouring it slowly into the hot pan so it doesnโt flame. Simmer the chicken for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a serving plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- Add the mushrooms and simmer them in the wine until reduced by half.
- Add the cream and basil and bring to a simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.
Using Uncut Chicken Breasts
If using regular-sized boneless chicken breasts, freeze the breasts for 15 minutes to making slicing them easier.ย Then slice them horizontally.ย Using a meat mallet, pound the breasts until doubled in length and width.ย Then cut them into smaller cutlets or medallions.
If you don't have time to freeze the chicken and don't want to wrestle with slippery chicken and a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts vertically and then pound them to expand their size and thin them.ย Cut them into smaller cutlet pieces if necessary.