Chicken Francese
Lightly-breaded chicken cutlets in an aromatic lemon-and-wine sauce.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 lemons
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup dry French vermouth or dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken horizontally in half, and then pound each half to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. I pounded my cutlets between a folded sheet or parchment paper. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Also, cut one lemon into 1/4-inch slices.
- Put the flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate, and whisk the eggs in a separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Season both the flour and the eggs with salt and pepper. Then arrange a work station near your cooktop as pictured: chicken, flour, eggs. The eggs should be quite close to a large skillet, which, of course, is resting on a burner.
- Heat the butter and oil in the large skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts and its foam subsides, proceed as follows: Coat both sides of one chicken cutlet first in the flour, and then in the egg mixture. Immediately place the cutlet in the hot skillet. Repeat for the remaining 3 cutlets. Fry until golden brown on the underside -- about 3 minutes. Then flip the chicken over, add the sliced lemon to the pan, and continue frying until the chicken is brown and cooked through -- about 3 minutes. Flip the lemon and let it brown briefly on the underside.
- Transfer the cooked chicken and the lemon slices to a serving platter.
- NOTE: If your skillet isn't roomy enough to accommodate both the chicken AND the lemon slices, simply cook the chicken first. After you've transferred the chicken to the platter, briefly saute the lemon in the skillet, and then add it to the platter.
- In the same skillet over high heat, add each of the following: the wine, the chicken stock, the heavy cream, and the juice of the remaining lemon. While stirring slowly and constantly, allow the sauce to boil until it reduces and thickens a little -- about 3 minutes. Taste the sauce carefully for seasonings -- you might like to add some salt and pepper.
- Spoon the sauce over the cutlets and lemon slices, garnish with fresh parsley leaves, and enjoy! I like to serve my Chicken Francese on a bed of hot, cooked rice. You might prefer a bed of pasta or mashed potatoes.