Eileeeeen's Bludgeoned Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
flour
2 TB minced shallot
2 TB minced garlic
1 Can chicken broth
Olive oil
Margarine
1/2 C lemon fresh lemon juice (used that bottled stuff if you absolutely have to)
Snipped parsley (C'mon, use fresh)

Wash and dry chicken. Put breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound, pound, pound till they are as thin as you can get them. (Start at the thickest part and work toward the outside to get ‘em really thin.) This is quite therapeutic.

Dredge in flour and put on a platter. Can be layered between sheets of wax paper. Put in frig if not cooking within an hour.

Heat olive oil and margarine in a skillet. Use enough to have about 1/4" to 1/2" in the pan, so that it doesn't stick. (Not real good on amounts, am I?)

Take the chicken, a piece at a time and dredge again in flour and put right in the skillet. Brown very well on both sides. As they finish, put into a warm oven on a cookie sheet. Add little bit more olive oil and margarine as it is absorbed, to keep it from sticking.

When all the chicken is browned, add a bit more oil and margarine if needed (there should just be enough to cover the bottom of the skillet) scrape up brown bits left in pan, and quickly sautee shallots and garlic. Don't brown, just cook till soft. Add about 3 TB of the flour used for dredging and cook and stir till you get a gooey disgusting mess. Add the can of chicken broth and stir and cook over low heat until thickened. Add lemon juice.

Return the chicken to the skillet, turning once to coat with sauce.

Sprinkle with parsley. (You can layer pieces if need be.) Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

This is basically a Chicken Piccata, Eileeeen style.

VARIATIONS:

Substitute 1/3 C Marsala for the lemon juice (Chicken Marsala)

Substitute 1 C. Sour Cream for the lemon juice and add paprika to the dredging flour and sprinkle additional with the parsley (Chicken Paprikash)

For the lemon juice substitute 1 C. good white wine which you have infused with tarragon. To infuse, put 1 teaspoon dry tarragon into the wine and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour. (Chicken Tarragon)

Add 1 C. sliced mushrooms with the garlic and shallots.

Serves 6. Though reheats nicely in micro for leftovers, so you can make for 2, 4, whatever