April 15th is a day most Americans have circled on their calendars. It's tax day, at least it used to be before the great pandemic, but I suppose now we've got three more months to procrastinate. It's also my dear friend Stephanie's birthday. But the main reason I had April 15th circled is that I was expecting a visit from my parents. We had everything planned since January for mom and dad to fly out from Florida today to enjoy spending the kids' Easter vacation with us and for them to see both of the kids in the school musical next week. Obviously, it's not happening, and we are all pretty down about it.
Through all of this upset over the past weeks, I've been drawing on my mother's tried and true recipes to get my family through. They are practical, delicious and super comforting. Most people have fond food memories of their childhoods, but I am especially lucky that I have so many. Nothing makes my family happier than gathering around a fully-packed dining room table, extra chairs dragged in from the kitchen, and spending hours eating, drinking and laughing together. As amazing as the food always was, it was the people in the chairs, not the meal on the table, that made it perfect. I miss my people, today even more than usual.
So, since my mom won't be here to cook for us any time soon, I'll keep cooking out of her playbook and feel her presence in my kitchen. And I'll drink the Wiseguy Sauvignon Blanc my dad so lovingly chose for us on their last trip to wine country. This pan of yumminess is pork scaloppine piccata, a riff on my mom's veal piccata that was always a favorite when the family got together. Just the smell of it simmering - the lemon, the wine, the butter - was a gentle reminder - there's no plate like home.
A little pork scaloppine piccata is good for the soul
You can make this dish with a variety of meat - boneless pork chops, chicken breasts, or veal. I've even made it with white fish fillets before (I think it was sea bass, but who can remember). What makes it is a scaloppine are the small, thin slices of meat you use. If you are starting with pork chops or chicken breasts, first cut them in half then pound as thinly as possible without tearing the meat. The sauce is also a super simple pan sauce that comes together quickly after the meat has browned. If you are serving this with rice, couscous or pasta on the side (which I totally recommend), have it just about ready to go before you begin. The whole dish will be ready in about 20 minutes. We paired ours with couscous, roasted fennel and a green salad.
Eating the rainbow, just need something blue (and orange too I suppose)
Pork Scaloppine Piccata (serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless pork chops, sliced in half and pounded paper thin
1/3 cup all purpose flour, seasoned with kosher salt and pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 tbsp capers (or more if you really like them)
1 large lemon, sliced super thinly
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Method:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Dredge chops in seasoned flour and brown in oil, turning only once to prevent the flour from sticking. Once browned, remove chops from pan and add shallots to hot pan. Sauteé for a minute then deglaze pan with wine, scraping up all the browned bits. reduce heat to medium low and add broth and capers. Bring to a low bubble, then reduce heat to low and add in butter. Return chops to the pan, top with lemon slices, and cook until everything is heated through. Top with chopped parsley.
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