Roasted Chicken Piccata
Recipe by Brian Obermeyer, Local Chef
Photography by Kyle Ripley, Haigwood Studios
Photography by Kyle Ripley, Haigwood Studios
When seasoned Atlanta chef Brian Obermeyer makes his version of chicken piccata, happy tongues wag as diners wonder what he did to make it so special. His
succulent secret: brining the chicken first. “The brine makes the chicken so tender and juicy and gives it an entirely different flavor that’s so much better,” he explains.
“It takes on the flavor of the vegetables and herbs that you put in the pot, along with the salt and sugar.” Chef Obermeyer prefers using whole bone-
in chicken breasts with the wing still attached, but his technique would work with any chicken piccata recipe, including those using pounded breasts--
just brine boneless breasts before pounding. He’s so smitten by brined bird that he employs the technique when cooking any poultry dish. “Once you’ve brined a
chicken, you’ll never want it just plain again!”
-Shelley Skiles Sawyer
Chef Brian Obermeyer has cooked at local favorites such as Pastis, Haven, Villagio Italian Kitchen and the Buckhead Diner. Roasted Chicken Piccata’s not always on his menu, but now it can be on yours!
succulent secret: brining the chicken first. “The brine makes the chicken so tender and juicy and gives it an entirely different flavor that’s so much better,” he explains.
“It takes on the flavor of the vegetables and herbs that you put in the pot, along with the salt and sugar.” Chef Obermeyer prefers using whole bone-
in chicken breasts with the wing still attached, but his technique would work with any chicken piccata recipe, including those using pounded breasts--
just brine boneless breasts before pounding. He’s so smitten by brined bird that he employs the technique when cooking any poultry dish. “Once you’ve brined a
chicken, you’ll never want it just plain again!”
-Shelley Skiles Sawyer
Chef Brian Obermeyer has cooked at local favorites such as Pastis, Haven, Villagio Italian Kitchen and the Buckhead Diner. Roasted Chicken Piccata’s not always on his menu, but now it can be on yours!
Roasted Chicken PicattaYield: 4 servings
4 large bone-in chicken breasts with wing still attached
Brining Liquid (recipe included)
salt to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound dry linguini pasta
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Place chicken in large stockpot and completely cover with ice. When Brining Liquid is ready, immediately pour it over chicken. Let it cool slightly; then place in
refrigerator for as long as possible but no longer than 24 hours, after which point the chicken becomes too salty. Remove chicken from brine, rinse and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken with salt to taste. Add olive oil to large oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated add breasts, skin-
side down, and sauté until skin gets crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 of the wine, let it deglaze, add 1/2 of the butter and 1/2 of the
stock and place pan in oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Remove pan from oven. The liquid should have cooked away. Place pan
over low heat, add remaining wine, butter, and stock, add lemon juice, and ladle over chicken, basting it as it cooks. Remove pan from heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta
according to package directions, drain and set aside.
To make the sauce, heat another pan with a little extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic until fragrant. Add capers, white wine, and about 1 cup basting
liquid, bring to a simmer and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter. Add freshly chopped parsley, toss cooked pasta in sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide pasta, slice chicken diagonally on the bias, leaving it on the bone, and place on top of pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan to taste, and serve.
Brining Liquid
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
parsley stems from 1 bunch
For the Brining Liquid
Combine ingredients in a separate stockpot filled with enough water to cover chicken and ice. Bring to a boil and stir to ensure salt and sugar have dissolved.
4 large bone-in chicken breasts with wing still attached
Brining Liquid (recipe included)
salt to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry white wine, divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound dry linguini pasta
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
Place chicken in large stockpot and completely cover with ice. When Brining Liquid is ready, immediately pour it over chicken. Let it cool slightly; then place in
refrigerator for as long as possible but no longer than 24 hours, after which point the chicken becomes too salty. Remove chicken from brine, rinse and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken with salt to taste. Add olive oil to large oven-safe sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated add breasts, skin-
side down, and sauté until skin gets crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 of the wine, let it deglaze, add 1/2 of the butter and 1/2 of the
stock and place pan in oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Remove pan from oven. The liquid should have cooked away. Place pan
over low heat, add remaining wine, butter, and stock, add lemon juice, and ladle over chicken, basting it as it cooks. Remove pan from heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta
according to package directions, drain and set aside.
To make the sauce, heat another pan with a little extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and sauté garlic until fragrant. Add capers, white wine, and about 1 cup basting
liquid, bring to a simmer and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter. Add freshly chopped parsley, toss cooked pasta in sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide pasta, slice chicken diagonally on the bias, leaving it on the bone, and place on top of pasta. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan to taste, and serve.
Brining Liquid
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
parsley stems from 1 bunch
For the Brining Liquid
Combine ingredients in a separate stockpot filled with enough water to cover chicken and ice. Bring to a boil and stir to ensure salt and sugar have dissolved.