Chicken Piccata with Cauliflower Garlic Mash {gluten free, dairy free, soy free}
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A comforting weeknight meal that is simple to put together, easy to make in advance (for entertaining or life's busy schedules!) and freezer friendly. But not only that, no one will ever know it's gluten and dairy free.
Jessica:
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: serves 6
Ingredients
  • 6 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (*take out of fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking)
  • ½ heaping cup tapioca flour (also known as starch, I use Bob’s Red Mill)
  • ½ heaping cup white rice flour
  • 2 whole eggs
  • EGG FREE OPTION: 1 cup unflavored coconut creamer and 2 teaspoons psyllium husk or ground white chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoons kosher salt plus a pinch more for flour
  • 2 teaspoons crushed black pepper, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons ground garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • For the lemon caper sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1½ cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons) or pure bottled lemon juice
  • 1 cup capers, drained
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ a bottle of white wine (I use Frey's sulfite-free chardonnay)
  • ½ cup avocado, canola or grapeseed oil plus 3 tablespoons
  • For the Cauliflower Garlic Mash:
  • 1 large cauliflower or 2 small ones (about 4 cups trimmed and cleaned)
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk or creamer
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or non-dairy 'butter'
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • For roasted garlic:
  • ¼ cup of peeled garlic, sliced or roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup avocado, canola or grapeseed oil (not extra virgin)
Preparation
  1. *Remove some of the chill in the chicken by leaving it out at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. Chicken, straight out of the fridge, will cook unevenly, overcooking the outside and undercooking the inside.
  2. Whisk eggs or egg-free mixture in a wide soup bowl. Set aside.
  3. Combine ½ cup tapioca starch and white rice flour in another wide soup bowl, with a pinch of kosher salt and blend with a fork. Set aside.
  4. Then combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or tapioca starch with water in a small bowl until well dissolved, set aside.
  5. Combine 1½ tablespoons kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl to season the chicken then make each chicken breast thinner by slicing the chicken breasts through the middle, lengthwise, and season.
  6. Put a few pieces of seasoned chicken into egg or egg-free mixture. Lift up to remove excess then transfer to flour bowl to coat all sides (pat flour on chicken to stick if needed). Note: I use one hand for dipping in egg and flour and keep the other hand clean to access cooking utensils and extra oil if needed. Removing excess egg before flouring helps make the chicken extra crispy as does a hot pan and not overcrowding the pan.
  7. Set a large heavy bottomed stainless steel saute pan (preferably not nonstick) on medium-high heat. When hot, add oil (appears thin and glossy with a slight smoke appearing, about 350 degrees F) then carefully add a few pieces of chicken, spaced well to prevent steaming and soggy chicken.
  8. Cook chicken in batches 3-5 minutes on each side. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate while you cook remaining chicken. Add more oil if needed. When done with last batch, remove. Be sure to keep an eye on the pan and rotate pieces as you cook to prevent from too much flour burning.
  9. Meanwhile, set a steamer on medium-high heat. When steamer is ready and you just put in your last batch of chicken in the pan add cauliflower to the steamer. Steamer for 5-7 minutes. Turn off and let it sit in the steamer until ready to use.
  10. If there is a lot of burned flour in your pan, carefully wipe with some bunched up paper towel and give it a quick wipe clean. Set pan back on medium-high heat, when hot add remaining 3 tablespoons oil.
  11. Immediately add capers, lemon juice, a teaspoon of kosher salt and wine. Stir to combine well and bring to a boil. Then add tapioca water mixture and bring it back up to a boil, stirring constantly. It will begin to thicken after a couple of minutes. When the sauce has thickened somewhat, reduce to medium heat.
  12. Add cooked chicken breasts back into the saute pan submerging pieces as much as possible, and continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
  13. During this time prepare cauliflower mash and roasted garlic.
  14. For the cauliflower mash:
  15. Drain cauliflower and add to the drained bottom half of the steamer for mashing. Using a hand-held immersion blender, or by hand. Add coconut milk, coconut oil or non-dairy butter, kosher salt, and mash again until lump-free. Add drained roasted garlic, if desired, and stir it in.
  16. For the garlic:
  17. Set small skillet on medium heat, when hot add oil. Add roughly chopped garlic to submerge in oil and cook, stirring once, for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  18. Drain garlic and add to cauliflower mash. Reserve garlic oil for salad dressings or for savory recipes.
  19. Serve chicken with sauce over cauliflower mash.
Recipe by From Jessica's Kitchen at http://fromjessicaskitchen.com/chicken-piccata-cauliflower-garlic-mash/