Cooking with Fire: Chicken piccata and baked asparagus with the Portage Fire Department

PORTAGE, Ind. - This morning we're Cooking with Fire at the Portage Fire Department, making firefighter/paramedic Grant Wild's chicken piccata and Lt. Tim Fercik's baked asparagus.  

Chicken piccata with lemon garlic cream sauce

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 to 2 lbs. asparagus
• 1.5 lbs. linguine
• 16 oz. fresh shaved parmesan
• Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)
• Zest of 1 lemon (for garnish)
• 2 cups flour (seasoned with 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 to 3 Tbsp chicken bouillon
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 8 to 12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1.5 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 to 4 whole lemons

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Butterfly and tenderize chicken to 1/4" thick; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Trim asparagus stems. Place in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and season with drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they have achieved desired doneness.
4. Cook noodles per package instructions.
5. Dredge all chicken breasts in seasoned flour (salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika).
6. Preheat large skillet over med-high heat and add olive oil.
7. Pan-fry chicken breast for approximately 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Do not over-crowd pan and place chicken on wire rack after frying.
8. Remove oil from the pan, reserving approximately 2 Tbsp.
9. Set heat to low.
10. Sauté shallots until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
11. Mix chicken bouillon in 1/2 cup or water; add to skillet.
12. Add 4-6oz. of softened cream cheese and the juice of 2 lemons to the skillet; stir to combine ensuring the cream cheese melts.
13. Add butter and 1 cup of parmesan to the skillet; stir to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste.
14. Stir until all ingredients are well combined and the sauce has thickened.
15. Add chicken back to the skillet and coat with the pan sauce.
16. Garnish with fresh parsley, shaved parmesan, and lemon zest.
17. Serve over linguine and plate next to asparagus.