Chicken Piccata

Marinate chicken: Add the pounded chicken breasts to a large sealable container. Pour buttermilk over chicken, and add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper. Toss to combine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours

Make flour mixture and coat chicken: Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and paprika to a large mixing bowl. Remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator and dredge them in the flour mixture until they are fully coated. Place chicken on a cooling rack over a sheet pan and allow to rest for 15 minutes, giving any excess dredge a chance to drip away. Discard any remaining flour mixture.

Cook chicken: Add canola oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil heats up, place the chicken breasts in the skillet 2 at a time, and sauté until cooked through (approximately 8 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes). Remove the cooked chicken breasts from the skillet, rest them on a plate, and set aside.

Make sauce: Without wiping the skillet clean, add 4 tablespoons butter and allow it to melt. Once melted, add garlic, capers, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes golden and fragrant (about 1 minute).

Deglaze pan and thicken sauce: Add white wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add lemon juice and gently simmer until the sauce begins to thicken (about 3 minutes).

Add butter: Reduce heat to low and add remaining 1 tablespoon of cold butter. Stir until the butter fully melts and the sauce takes on a rich sheen.

Add chicken to sauce: Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and gently stir until the chicken is fully coated and the sauce clings to it.

Serve: Serve one breast per plate alongside pasta or polenta. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and garnish with torn herbs, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and lemon wedges.