Braised Chicken Piccata

While acclaimed cookbook author Alison Roman resents the question, “If you were a food, what would you be?” her answer would almost certainly be chicken piccata. She writes, “It’s saucy, full of capers, and loves white wine: Same! This chicken piccata does not require you to pound out cutlets or dredge the breasts in flour. Here, it’s bone-in, skin-on chicken parts that brown nicely in the pan, giving you lots of bits and bobs to scrape up with white wine. This forms the start of a wonderful braising liquid for the chicken to swim in, becoming so tender it nearly falls apart. There’s also, of course, lots of butter, crisped-up garlic and capers, and (whole) lemon slices, simmered in the white winey sauce till soft and jammy and scattered in at the end for a jolt of perky bitterness. Classique.”

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 to 3 lb. (1.25 kg to 1.5 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken parts, such as breasts, legs or thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tbs. neutral oil or olive oil
  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 6 to 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tbs. capers, drained
  • 1 lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (1/2 oz./15 g) parsley, tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper; set aside. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, to the skillet, pressing lightly with tongs to ensure even contact. Cook until deeply golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Without wiping out the pot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, garlic, and capers. Using a wooden spoon, tongs or a fish spatula, do your best to scrape up the browned bits (more will come up when you add the wine). Cook, swirling occasionally, until the garlic and capers are golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Transfer half of the garlic and capers to a small bowl; set aside.

Add half of the sliced lemon and the red pepper flakes to the pot, stirring to lightly toast the pepper flakes and soften the lemon. Add the wine and water and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken back to the pot, skin-side up, nestling it in to partially submerge.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced from watery wine to buttery, tangy, salty, and a little spicy, 30 to 35 minutes. (It should remain brothy!) Taste the sauce and give it a final season of salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes if you like.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or divide among plates. Spoon the magic sauce over everything. Scatter with the remaining lemon slices, reserved crispy garlic mixture, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Serves 4.

DO AHEAD
The chicken can be braised 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. It can be reheated gently on the stovetop, or in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 30 or so minutes, or until warmed through.

EAT WITH
Few things are better than a bowl of pearl couscous or pot of egg noodles to soak up all that sauce, but it’s really a choose-your-own-carbohydrate adventure: crusty baguette, pool of buttery polenta, a tangle of long al dente noodles…

Adapted from Something from Nothing by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter, 2025)