I know it’s sometimes uninspiring to cook for one, and cereal is the solo meal of choice for those who would rather not have dishes to do, but I get a lot of satisfaction from single skillet meals that take under ten minutes and don’t stick you with a ton of leftovers.

This chicken thigh piccata is almost as easy as cereal: douse a couple chicken thighs in a shallow dish of flour and cook them in butter with a slice or two of lemon in the pan until they’re crisp and golden. If there are any leftover cooked veggies or quick-cooking ones in the fridge – I had half a baked potato and a bunch of broccolini – they take just a few minutes to reheat alongside. When your chicken is cooked, you can squeeze the soft lemon overtop with tongs, then add a splash of stock or wine to the pan along with a dab of butter and forkful of capers, swirl it around to loosen any browned bits, and pour overtop. SO GOOD.

Chicken Piccata

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

all-purpose flour

salt and pepper, to taste

2-4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

canola oil, for cooking

butter, for cooking

1/2 lemon, sliced

1/4 cup stock or wine (optional)

1-2 tsp capers, drained

Put some flour into a shallow bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Flatten the chicken thighs (no need to pound them) and douse in seasoned flour to coat.

Set a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of oil and dab of butter. When the butter foams, put the chicken thighs into the hot pan, with the lemon slices alongside. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is crisp and golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate with the lemon slices, squeezing them over the chicken with tongs. Add a splash of stock or wine to the pan along with the capers (and another dab of butter, if you like), swirl it around the pan to loosen any browned bits, and pour over the chicken. Serves 1 or 2.

Ingredients