Chicken Francese

Chicken Francese or Francaise (both spellings are correct) is a wonderful and simple dish that is perfect for a family dinner or a Holiday gathering

There is some mystery surrounding the origins of this dish

Some believe the dish was an Italian-American attempt to stray from the traditional method of cooking cutlets

While others note the the dipping of the chicken first in flour then egg is a french method

Well where ever this dish came from the truth is simple…

It’s delicious!!

We are going to start with 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

We are going to fillet these

I usually get 2-3 cutlets per breast depending on thickness

You can also have your butcher do this

Repeat until all the chicken has been fillet into cutlets

Next we are going to tenderize the cutlets

Cover them with some cling wrap

This will prevent chicken parts and juice from flying around the kitchen while you are tenderizing

Pound out the chicken then flip and repeat taking care not to pound them out to hard

You don’t want to break the chicken up

As I mentioned in the beginning of the blog this method of making cutlets is a bit different

We will be dredging the chicken in flour first then the egg wash

This creates a wonderfully eggy batter that is delicious

Lets start with 1-1 1/2 cups of flour

Next we will need 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, garlic powder and onion powder and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Add this to the flour

Next chop about 1 tablespoons of fresh parsley

Add to the flour and mix it all to combine

Next we will need 6 small eggs or 3-4 large eggs and 2 tablespoons of water

Add the water to the eggs

Whisk to combine

Next let’s set up a dredging station

I like to use a large sheet pan to keep the mess to a minimum

Add about 2 inches of olive oil to a pan over medium heat

Let the oil heat up enough so it seals the chicken when you fry it

If the chicken sits in cool or warm oil it will become greasy

I test the heat of the oil by sprinkling a little flour into it

If the flour fries the chicken will fry

Now for the dredging

Place a cutlet into the flour

Coat both sides

Shake off any excess flour and dip into the egg wash

Gently place the cutlet into the hot oil

Repeat with only enough cutlets to fit in the pan without over crowding them

We are going to cook these in batches

Cook 2-3 minutes then flip and cook 2-3 minutes more

I like to place a cookie rack over a sheet pan

Remove the cutlets from the pan and place on the rack

Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt

Repeat until all the cutlets are done

Next up is the sauce

I’m breaking tradition a bit here and using lemon zest instead of full lemon slices

For the sauce we will need the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup of dry white wine (like a Chardonnay) and 1 cup of chicken stock

Click on our link to make your own Homemade Chicken Stock

Add the lemon zest and juice to the pan we cooked the chicken in and stir to loosen up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan

This will add to the flavor

Cook for 2-3 minutes

Next add in the white wine

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook 4-6 minutes

Next add in the chicken stock

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer

Cook 2-3 minutes

Adjust the sauce to your taste

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan

This will help to enrich and thicken the sauce

Dip the cutlets in the sauce and then nestle them in the pan

Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook the cutlets for 2-4 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the chicken to warm through

Time for some more fresh parsley

Remove from the heat

Garnish with parsley, crushed red pepper and lemon slices and dig in!!!!

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood

Mini Prep Glass Bowl

Pyrex Mixing Bowl

Pyrex Bakeware Scalloped Pie Plate

Cooks Standard Multi-Ply Clad Stainless Steel Tagine and Extra Glass Lid, 4.5-Quart

Wilton Recipe Right Non-stick Cookie Sheet Set, 2-Piece

Baker’s Secret Cooling Rack

ZELITE INFINITY Chef Knife 8 inch

OXO Good Grips Balloon Whisk

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