Chicken Francese An Italian American Classic Food

CHICKEN FRANCESE

Steps:

• In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• In a wide skillet, heat olive and vegetable oils over medium heat until shimmering.
• Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, lightly dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Dip into egg batter, let excess batter drip back into the bowl and place in the skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as the cutlets cook so they brown slowly and evenly, with a steady bubbling. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined pan and repeat with remaining cutlets.
• When all cutlets are browned, remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Return the pan to low heat.
• If making the lemon slices (if not, skip to Step 6 below): Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and then scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring gently occasionally, until the lemon slices are golden and browning around the edges, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set them aside.
• Add 3 tablespoons of butter, the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and cook until thickened into a sauce, about 5 minutes. (It will thicken more when you add the cutlets.) Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon, salt and pepper; it should be quite lemony and not too salty.
• Reduce the heat, tuck the cutlets into the pan and simmer very gently until the sauce is velvety and the chicken pieces are heated through, about 4 minutes. Turn the cutlets over occasionally in the sauce. Place the browned lemon slices on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve, spooning some of the sauce over each serving.

CHICKEN FRANCESE

Steps:

• Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.
• Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
• Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Stir to incorporate and dissolve the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

CHICKEN FRANçAISE

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and milk. A pie plate works well for this. Set aside. Combine the salt, pepper and flour in a separate shallow bowl and place next to the egg mixture. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Using tongs, dredge the chicken cutlets in flour shaking off the excess. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture allowing the extra egg to drip back into the bowl. Transfer to the flour once again, turning to coat. Shake off the extra flour and place in the hot skillet.
• Cook 2 or 3 cutlets at a time, turning once, until the chicken is well browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the prepared paper-towel lined baking sheet. Repeat, adding more butter and olive oil if needed until all chicken is cooked. Set chicken aside. Discard the grease and wipe out the skillet with clean paper towels.
• Add 3 tablespoons butter to the now empty skillet over medium heat.
• Toss in the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken broth. Increase the temperature to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the onions. Some small bits of zest may remain after you've passed the sauce through the sieve, and this is okay. Return the sauce to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce. Stir gently until melted. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. The lemon flavor will be intense.
• Add the lemon slices to the sauce and then add the chicken cutlets back to the pan atop the lemon slices. Heat gently for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, or until heated through.
• Remove the cutlets and the lemon slices from the sauce and set aside. Using tongs, take about half of the cooked pasta and add it to the sauce. Twirl the pasta in the sauce taking care to coat it well. Toss the coated pasta with the remaining pasta in a serving bowl. Remember, the sauce is lemon intense, so by coating only half and tossing with the remainder, you will have a nice flavor without it being overpowering or drippy.
• Add the chicken to the serving bowl atop the pasta. Top the chicken with the sautéed lemon slices and garnish with minced parsley. Pour any remaining sauce in a sauce boat for serving at the table. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN FRANCESE

Steps:

• Prepare frying station with chicken, a bowl of flour, and a bowl with beaten eggs.
• Heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge chicken into flour, shake off excess and dip into egg. Add a bit of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to pan and fry the cutlets. Do not crowd. Work in batches. Use more oil/butter as required for subsequent batches.
• Fry cutlets for 3 minutes per side, then place on paper towels to drain.
• Add sliced lemons to the pan and cook for 10-15 seconds. Add in the white wine, chicken stock, and the juice of half a lemon. Turn heat to medium-high and bring sauce to boil for 3-4 minutes.
• Turn heat to medium-low and add small butter pieces rolled in flour (2 tablespoons worth). If the sauce is too thin add a touch more flour (~1 teaspoon) and continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add a nice bit of black pepper and if necessary adjust salt and/or lemon juice amount.
• When satisfied with the sauce's taste and consistency return the chicken to the pan and gently coat with the sauce and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped parsley on top. Enjoy!