Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata? Really? Doesn’t seem like a dish synonymous with the sous vide technique, I must agree. But as most of us know, chicken breasts cooked sous vide are outstanding — perfectly and evenly cooked, moist, and tender.

Oh, and very white. It’s that perfectly pallid color which is at odds with the idea of Chicken Piccata, a dish which is richly golden because it’s sautéed, not poached. This brings me to Pete’s latest brainstorm – velveting.

During a recent episode of America’s Test Kitchen, he witnessed the transformation of poached chicken breasts from dead white to golden brown via a Chinese technique used in stir fries. Velveting relies on a simple paste of flour, cornstarch, and butter to coat the exterior of meat in preparation for a very quick, high-heat sear.

Sure enough, the idea works beautifully on sous vide chicken, and when sauced with a reduction of chicken stock, lemon juice, capers, and parsley, Chicken Piccata is reborn.

Serves 6

For the sauce

For the velveting paste

1. Preheat the water bath to 143°F (62°C).
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place 2 breasts in each of 3 food bags and vacuum seal.
3. Cook for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 hours.
4. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Combine the concentrated stock, wine, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Reduce the liquid by half over medium heat. Stir in the capers and set the sauce aside at room temperature until 10 minutes before serving time.
5. To make the velveting paste, combine the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Whisk the melted butter into the mixture, creating a smooth paste. Set aside at room temperature.
6. Just before serving, remove the chicken breasts from the food bags and transfer them to a paper-towel-lined sheet pan or platter. Pat dry with additional paper towels. Cover with foil to keep the meat warm. Add the bag juices to the saucepan with the lemon-caper sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat and whisk in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the velveting paste to give the sauce a slight body. Reduce the heat to low, whisk in the cold butter, and keep the sauce warm.
7. Heat 2 large cast-iron skillets over medium-high heat and film with canola oil. Brush the presentation side of the chicken breasts with the velveting paste. Place 3 breasts, coated side down, in each of the hot skillets and sear them for 1 minute, or until nicely golden. With tongs, transfer each chicken breast to a warm dinner plate, golden side up. Top each breast with some of the lemon-caper sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.