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| Chicken Francese has been one of my favorite restaurant menu choices for many years. It is a difficult recipe to find in most Italian cookbooks (believe me, I searched and searched.) So a few years back I created a recipe that, although very close, was not exactly like the best that I've had in fine Italian restaurants. I worked on this recipe, changing one thing or another, until now. I think I finally got it right. If you are a Chicken Francese lover (like me), I hope that you will try this recipe and let me know what you think. Remember, you can make this exact same recipe substituting veal or turkey cutlets, shrimp, or a nice fillet of flounder, sole, etc. for the chicken. ENJOY! |
| CHICKEN FRANCESE |
| (Serves 2) |
| 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts |
| Salt and pepper |
| Flour for dredging |
| 1 large egg |
| 2 TB. water |
| 3-4 TB. olive oil |
| 1/2 lemon, cut into thin slices |
| 1/2 cup white wine |
| 1 cup chicken broth |
| 2 TB. unsalted butter, room temperature |
| 2 TB. flour |
| 2 TB. chopped flat-leaf parsley |
| Cut each chicken breast horizontally through the middle to make 2 fillets. |
| Place the breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. |
| Pound them with a mallet until they are about 1/4-inch thick. |
| Season both side of the cutlets with salt and pepper. |
| Put some flour in a shallow dish or on a piece of waxed paper. |
| In another shallow dish, beat the egg and water to make an egg wash. |
| In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium heat. |
| Dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the flour then in the egg wash. |
| Add the cutlets to the hot oil and fry 2 minutes on each side until golden. |
| Transfer the cutlets to a platter. Set aside. |
| Add the lemon slices to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes. |
| Add the wine and broth; simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. |
| Roll the butter in the flour, combining it well with your fingers or a fork. |
| Add the butter to the skillet; this will thicken the sauce. |
| Stir to dissolve the butter and flour. |
| Reduce the heat to low and return the chicken cutlets to the skillet. |
| Gently simmer to heat the chicken, turning the cutlets over once in the sauce. |
| Remove the lemon slices. |
| Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Pour sauce over. |
| Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. |
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