Turkey Piccata

Turkey piccata is the weeknight answer to Italian veal piccata, and in some ways it’s the better dish. Turkey cutlets are leaner, cheaper, and more available than veal, but they deliver the same tender bite and mild flavor that makes this preparation sing.

The method is as simple as Italian cooking gets. Cutlets are dredged in seasoned flour, seared in foaming butter, then pulled from the pan. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a fresh pat of butter hits the hot pan, reduces into a glossy sauce in about 30 seconds, and gets poured back over the cutlets. No cream, no wine, no fuss.

The foaming butter stage is the cue to add the turkey. If the foam hasn’t subsided, the butter hasn’t finished releasing its water content and the cutlets won’t sear properly. If the butter starts to brown, the pan is too hot.

Chef Tips

• Pound the cutlets between plastic wrap to an even ¼-inch thickness. Uneven cutlets cook unevenly and toughen in the thin spots.
• Shake excess flour off before pan goes in. Loose flour burns in the butter and muddies the sauce.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Work in batches if needed so each cutlet gets contact with the hot surface.
• Add capers to the sauce if you like them. They’re traditional and add a briny pop.

Variations

• Swap turkey for thin chicken breast cutlets or pork scaloppine.
• Splash ¼ cup of dry white wine into the pan before the lemon juice for a deeper sauce.
• Serve over angel hair or buttered egg noodles to catch every drop of pan sauce.