Dad's Chicken Scallipini

My dad is one of those manly men.

Likes to hunt.

Likes to ride his Harley Davidson Road King Classic.

Likes to belch loudly.

And he likes to grill.

So it's not surprising that while his smoke n' fire skills on the Komodo Joe are top notch, the 20-year-old oven can be a bit daunting.

On nights where we had to fend for ourselves without my mother's kitchen expertise, Dad grew tiresome of the frozen and canned variety. It was time to venture into unknown stove territory.

Chicken scallipini happened a few years ago and has become a household favorite. Still to this day, my mom can't master it quite like my dad can, but maybe his daughter can! I've tried this recipe a few times and finally got it down to something the Italian gods would accept.

By the way, did I mention my dad took a genealogy test recently? We found out we're not only Puerto Rican, we're part Italian! And part Australian. Pretty neat, huh?

No matter your ancestral history - this recipe is sure to delight.

Dad's Chicken Scallipini

You'll need...
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Flour
Olive oil
1 lemon
4 cloves garlic
Butter
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp. capers
Thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

Make sure you get a lemon that feels soft to the touch. A trick I learned from Ina Garten, if the lemon smells like lemon when you pick it up at the grocery store, it's ripe!

Start by getting your pasta going - I used thin spaghetti but angel hair pasta is also amazing!

Butterfly the chicken breasts into 4 equal pieces. Place into a large plastic bag and grab a meat pounder.

Oh yes, there is a bit of violence in this recipe. Don't worry though, that chicken's already dead!

Beat the H-E double hockey sticks out of it until it's nice and flat. I'd say about 1/2 inch in thickness. The thinner the chicken, the quicker these will cook up in the pan.

Once it's been flattened, generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and dredge in flour and shake off the excess.

Get a large pan (preferably a little deep since we'll be creating the sauce in this pan) and heat medium/high. Add about 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil and get to fryin' the chicken. You'll want it slightly golden brown in color. Once the chicken is cooked, place on a paper towel and keep warm.

Do NOT clean out the pan. Leave it dirty. Because we like dirty.

Ahem.

 It the same dirty, filthy, hot mess of a pan, turn the heat down to low/medium, add a bit more olive oil (about 2 tbsp.) and add 4 cloves of minced garlic.

Add one cup of chicken broth and a half stick of butter, stirring with medium heat. Let the chicken broth reduce and thicken.

Add the chicken into the pan, the sauce will thicken some more by adding in the chicken. Add the zest of one lemon and then cut the lemon in half, squeezing about 2 tbsp. of the lemon juice into the pan.

Careful, you're starting to drool.

Add in about 2 tbsp. of capers, or whatever amount your heart desires. There's no wrong in these pea-sized pickled goodness.

Drain your pasta and getting ready to plate...

It's all about presentation, right?

Pile the chicken on top of the pasta, grab some capers...

Take all the sauce from the pan and pour directly on top so you have one big bowl of lemony chicken.

Oh, and make a bowl for yourself!

Dad's, be sure to make this one for the family - it's the go-to stove recipe when all grills fail (or you're just wanting a dinner that doesn't require 8 hours smoke time).

Enjoy!