Piccata is a Milanese specialty; the term derives from picchiare, to hit or pound, and refers to the pounding of thin slices of meat to further flatten them out. According to Antonio Piccinardi, the meat traditionally used in preparing piccata is veal scallops, while the liquid traditionally added at the end of the cooking is Marsala (though now lemon juice is more popular), while the most common herb is parsley. He also says that there are many variations on the theme, both in terms of the meat used (chicken breast instead of veal, for example) and the seasonings added. Here we have turkey breast piccata.

See Also

Another recipe, with veal and slivered ham

Other Milanese recipes

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450 g) turkey breast (or veal or chicken breast), thinly sliced
  
• 1/3 pound (150 g) string beans (to serve as garnish; you could omit them if you want, using 2-3 tablespoons of minced parsley instead)
  
• 2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed well and coarsely chopped
  
• 1/3 cup Marsala (or lemon juice, as you prefer)
  
• Unsalted butter
  
• Olive oil
  
• Salt to taste

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings turkey piccata

Preparation

Remove the tips from the string beans if you are using them, and cook them until done in lightly salted water. Drain them and keep them warm.

In the meantime, pound the slices of meat with a meat pounder or the flat of a knife to thin them. Heat a couple of tablespoons of butter in a broad skillet and cook the meat over high heat, flipping it once and salting the slices when they are cooked -- the cooking time will be a couple of minutes per side.

Remove the meat to a warmed serving dish, and deglaze the pan drippings with the Marsala or lemon juice, heating for a couple of minutes while stirring the pan contents to thicken the sauce slightly. Give the mixture a last stir, and spoon it over the meat, together with the capers.

Season the string beans with a few drops of olive oil and a pinch of salt, garnish the meat with them, and serve at once.

You'll note that this recipe doesn't include parsley -- string beans take its place. You could garnish the meat with a couple of tablespoons of minced parsley instead, mixing them and the capers together.

The wine? Red, and I might go with a Chianti, or, since the dish is Milanese, an Oltre Po Pavese.