Chicken Meatball Picatta

The perfect weeknight dinner ready in less than half hour. If you do not have veal scallops ready at hand, here is a great substitute without sacrificing the taste and elegance. Using half kilo of meat, you can easily serve 4 people for dinner or in our case, prepare the meatballs and freeze half for another meal. This dish offers the same taste as a luxurious veal scallop, without the price tag. Served with fresh pasta or even better, mashed potatoes, a very comforting and satisfying dish.

INGREDIENTS
500 Gr. Ground chicken
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan
2/3 Cup Panko or other breadcrumbs
3 Garlic cloves finely minced
Zest of a lemon
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
125 Gr. Butter (1 Stick butter)
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour (you can also use corn starch)
Juice of a Lemon
1 Cup Chicken broth
1/4 Cup Capers with 2 tablespoons brine

PREPARATION
In a medium size bowl, mix together the chicken, parmesan, lemon zest and the Panko. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Roll the meatballs using a large tablespoon. You should have enough meat for about 20 meatballs.
In a non-stick medium size pan, heat the olive oil and saute the meatballs in medium-high heat, turning them often, every few minutes. They should be ready in about 5-6 minutes. Remove them from the pan and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the garlic for a minute or so. Add the juice of a lemon and a cup of chicken broth. (I prepare this step in advance using a large cup) and pour over the melted butter.
Let the mixture come to a boil. Sprinkle a tablespoon of all purpose flour and using a whisk, mix very well, in order to avoid lumps in the sauce. As the sauce starts to thicken, add the meatballs and let the sauce cook for about two minutes. It will be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
At the last minute, pour the capers with its brine and serve immediately.
Grate a little parmesan for garnish or add some freshly chopped parsley.

I usually serve them with mashed potatoes or a simple pasta with a dash of butter.