Fried Chicken w/ Lemon-Caper Sauce

The salty capers and tangy lemons bring this chicken dish to life!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
Several dashes fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 whole large egg
1/2 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 cup sweet onion, diced
2 whole cloves fresh garlic, minced
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup (about 2 small lemons) fresh squeezed lemon juice, seeds removed
2 Tbs. bottled capers, drained *See tip below
Cooked Brown Jasmine Rice (optional)

Place chicken breasts, one at a time, between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet, working from the center to the outer edge, in even strokes. Do not pound so much that the meat begins to tear. Pound out to an even 1/4-inch thick.

Heat oil in a large pan, over medium heat. Once oil is heated, add onion and garlic. Saute until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes (be careful not to burn!). Transfer onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

In a separate small bowl, mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. In another bowl, beat egg and water. Dip chicken into egg wash, then dredge through the flour mixture coating evenly; set aside

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the same pan used to cook the onions and garlic. Once butter is melted and pan is hot, add 2 chicken breasts (don't want to over crowd the pan with all four at once). Cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until no longer pink. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate; set aside. Add another 1 tablespoon of butter to pan and repeat steps with remaining two chicken breasts. *You may need to wipe out your pan before cooking your second batch, if the first batch made your butter burn some.Otherwise that burn flavor will transfer into your sauce.

Add wine to the pan that you cooked the chicken in, being sure to scrape any tidbits from the bottom with a whisk. Add  the chicken broth, lemon juice, onion/garlic mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and capers. Stir until blended and cook over medium-high heat until sauce has reduced. Lower heat to a simmer and return chicken to pan for 3-5 minutes.

Spoon sauce over chicken, prior to serving.

Tip: This goes well with cooked Brown Jasmine Rice, with the chicken and sauce on top! Capers are immature edible flower buds (look like a pea) plucked from a Caper Bush, native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. They are brined in a salt or vinegar solution, causing them to be salty.