Chicken scallopine doesn't have to be a diet-busting dish
| • | Redefine salad |
By Elaine Magee
Q. I love ordering chicken scallopine at a restaurant near my house. They fry the chicken thighs, and I think the pieces have skin on them. It comes with a nice lemon-caper sauce. I want to make a light version as two of my family members need to cut back on fat and calories.
A. Say the words chicken scallopine, and I'm so there! Making a light version is completely possible. We start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts (instead of chicken thighs with skin) and although we are using olive oil to brown them in the skillet, we will keep it to about a teaspoon per serving by using a nonstick pan and olive oil cooking spray.
After the chicken is cooked and removed from the pan, many recipes call for adding more oil or butter to bring up the brown bits and create a sauce with chicken broth and lemon juice. (The browned bits are called the "fond" and this process is called deglazing.) We can deglaze the pan easily with just the chicken broth. Making these changes cuts 164 calories and reduces the fat grams and saturated fat grams by two-thirds.
Original recipe contains 440 calories, 25 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, and 165 milligrams cholesterol per serving.
LIGHT CHICKEN SCALLOPINE WITH CAPERS AND LEMON
Pat pounded chicken breast dry with paper towels and season with a total of about 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper each. Place flour in a medium-size bowl and coat chicken breasts well.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add two of the chicken breasts and coat the tops with olive oil cooking spray. Brown on both sides (about 1 1/2 minutes per side). Remove cooked chicken pieces to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat frying step with the remaining olive oil and chicken breasts.
Turn down the heat to medium-high and stir in the chicken broth and garlic. Using a spatula, scrape up the brown bits from the bottom. Bring broth to a gentle boil and continue to cook and stir until it's reduced to about 3/4 cup (about 2 minutes). Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice, capers and parsley. Set chicken breasts in the skillet (along with any juices that collected on the plate). Cover the skillet and allow the flavors to blend for a couple of minutes. Serve each breast with a spoonful of the scallopine sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Elaine Magee is a registered dietitian. Learn more about her, her book "Food Synergy" and her Recipe Doctor Club at www.recipedoctor.com.
