Chicken and Brine

1. To prepare the airline breast, begin with a bone in breast, wing attached. Extend the wing and cut through and around the skin just below the wing joint. Bend the wing tip back and pull right off the joint. Use your knife to carefully scrape any meat and skin back to expose a clean bone. Using a pairing knife, remove the rib bones as well (You can also have your butcher do this for you.)
2. Place breasts in a ziplock bag, cover with combined salt/sugar/water brine and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
3. After brining period, remove breasts from brine and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels and arrange on a cooling rack, set inside a cookie sheet.
4. Dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. The skin will have a translucent look when removed from the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
6. Season the chicken lightly on both sides with kosher salt.
7. Heat a large ovenproof sauce pan over medium-high heat (2 pans can be used to accommodate the chicken breasts if need be), we like to use a Paella Pan this large pan can accommodate up to 6 breasts and because it does not have a long handle it fits nicely in our oven. Put 1/4 cup of clarified butter or oil in each pan (if using 2) or 1/2 cup in one pan and cook the chicken halves, skin side down, for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for about 6-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (depends on the oven and altitude).
9. Remove the chickens from the pan, sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and let them rest for about 5 minutes.
10. Put the lemon slices in the pan and let them cook over high heat for about 1 minute so that they caramelize.
12. Add the wine and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, for 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by half.
13. Add the unsalted butter and capers and stir the sauce to emulsify the butter with the pan juices.
14. Squeeze the lemon juice into the sauce, remove from the heat, and continue stirring until blended.
15. Stir in the parsley.
16. Put a chicken half on each serving plate, atop the mashed potatoes, skin side up, and spoon equal amounts of sauce over each. Place herb roasted onions on the side and serve immediately.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn’t boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.
3. As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disk/blade over a heatproof bowl. Pass the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper, and serve hot. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

Herb-Roasted Onions