Last fall, my writer friend Paula hosted a dinner at her home where she prepared a scrumptious chicken dish made with a flavorful Moscato wine sauce. I’d never tried Moscato before that night, but instantly it became a favorite wine for me (and later my husband). Now normally I tend to shy away from sweet wines, preferring dry wines instead. But this sweet wine holds its own as both a drinking wine and a cooking wine.

The dish my friend made reminded me of Chicken Scallopine I’ve tried at restaurants and made at home, except this one was a tad bit sweeter. Inspired by my friend’s recipe, I decided to create my own version of this dish I call Chicken Moscato. Okay, once again it’s confession time. My first attempt at making this dish was a flop. I didn’t add enough olive oil to the pan and large chunks of batter stuck to the pan. Oh, it wasn’t a pretty sight.

But I decided to try to make it once again, this time adding more oil to cook the chicken. The outcome ~ beautifully golden battered chicken breasts. And combined with the sweet wine and lemon sauce ~ a match made in heaven.

Chicken Moscato

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP water
• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan + more for garnish
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 4 TBSP butter
• 3 lemons ~ 1 cut into thin slices, the others halved
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1½ cup Moscato wine
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

(1) With a meat mallet, pound chicken until pieces are thin, about ½ to ¼ inch; set aside.

(2) In a shallow bowl, beat egg and water together. In another shallow bowl, mix flour, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

(3) Heat oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Dip each chicken piece first in egg mixture then in flour mixture until well coated. Place coated chicken pieces in hot oil. Cook each side until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Turn off heat and place chicken pieces on a plate covered with paper towels.

(4) Wipe oil and batter remnants from pan. Turn on heat to low. Melt butter in pan. Add the lemon slices (from one lemon) to pan. Saute in butter for about 3 minutes. Discard lemon slices.

(5) Add chicken broth, the juice of two lemons, and Moscato wine to pan.  Bring to a vigorous boil. Reduce to medium heat. Simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes, until sauce is reduced by half. Return chicken to pan and cook for a couple of minutes, until chicken is warmed. Chicken Moscato can be served in the pan or transferred to a casserole dish. Top with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. If desired, serve with angel hair pasta. Oh, and don’t forget to enjoy it with a glass of Moscato! Makes 4 servings.