Lemon Chicken Piccata

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and place a large, oven-safe serving platter inside to warm. Season the chicken medallions generously with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge each piece of chicken, ensuring it's lightly coated. Shake off any excess flour.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the chicken in the hot skillet and pan-fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, adding more oil if necessary. As each batch is cooked, transfer the chicken to the warmed platter in the oven to keep warm.

Once all the chicken is cooked, carefully drain most of the oil from the skillet, leaving just a thin film on the bottom. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until it becomes fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the optional lemon slices to the skillet and bring the broth to a boil. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to about 2/3 of a cup, which should take 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and capers, and continue to simmer for about 5 more minutes until the sauce has reduced a bit more and slightly thickened.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the butter and gently swirl the skillet until the butter has completely melted and incorporated into the sauce, creating a smooth, glossy finish. Stir in the minced parsley. Arrange the warm chicken medallions on individual plates and spoon the finished piccata sauce generously over each portion before serving.