Classic Chicken Francaise
This is a dish my wife orders every time we visit an Italian restaurant that has it on its menu. You don't always see it on the menu, as piccata, for the busy restaurant line cook, is easier to make. At home we can confidently make this dish because we can take our time to make it right. In this dish you are essentially making chicken piccata just adding one more step of an egg, parmesan and parsley dredge and eliminating the capers.
Chicken francaise looks elegant on your table on a platter with sauce drizzled over the top with lemon slices on top or alongside and a sprinkling of parsley for a dinner party or a special treat any night of the week for your family. It also makes a great date-night dinner.
As with my piccata recipe I've made detailed instructions for you to make the recipe perfect. It may seem you are doing more reading than cooking so print the recipe and place it where you are working so you can reference it. As always, prep all the ingredients and make your Chicken francaise and you will see it's not difficult, you learned how to make a perfect sauce and served a great dish.
About the recipe
Chicken Francaise is a classic dinner staple in every Italian restaurant. Sauteed chicken in a wine, butter and lemon sauce seems simple but does require some technique to get it right. Follow this recipe and it comes out perfect every time. Make sure to read the detailed steps in the recipe to achieve that perfection.
About the ingredients
Chicken Breasts
You will want to fillet the chicken breast into cutlets. Cutlets will give a nice balance of sauce to chicken ratio for the perfect flavor. Filet the breast and cover with plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound the chicken starting on the fat end and working the meat to the thin end so the cutlet is an even 1/4 inch thick. The plastic wrap actually helps form the breast to an even thickness when pounded.
2. All-Purpose Flour
Standard unbleached all-purpose flour works best. The light coating protects the chicken from drying out as it sautes. It also leaves some flour in the pan that will help thicken the sauce later so do not wipe out the pan after you saute.
Note: Gluten-free option: use 1:1 ratio of gluten-free baking flour and rice flour or 2:1 ratio using cornstarch with one of the flours.
3. Eggs, Parmesan-Reggiano and Parsley
Using a dredge of grated parmesano-reggiano and parsley into your eggs and scrambled makes a flavorful and inviting presentation and gives the francaise that classic look and flavor.
4. Unsalted Butter and Olive oil (for sauteeing)
Combine the olive oil and butter. This gives you a good combination that will give you a high smoke point for sauteing that will prevent burning. Adding in the butter helps the chicken get that golden brown look you want.
5. Dry White Wine
A dry white wine helps deglaze the pan, loosening the brown flavorful bits that will enhance the sauce. It also adds acidity to counterbalance the rich butter. Use a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
Substitutions: To make this non alcoholic double the use of chicken stock. You can also substitute with dry white vermouth if you forgot the wine.
6. Unsalted Chicken stock
Chicken stock adds body, savory depth and volume to the sauce. Always use unsalted broth as we want to control the salt content manually. Having salt in a sauce that we are going to reduce, as liquid evaporates, the salt does not, it concentrates in the reduced sauce. This is the importance of using unsalted butter as well.
7. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Always use fresh squeezed lemons. They are inexpensive and also make a nice garnish. Lemons give the francaise that crisp, sharp acidic flavor that defines the dish. Bottled lemon juice contains preservatives that can give the dish a bitter, metallic flavor when heated
8. Cold Unsalted Butter (pan finish)
Cold unsalted butter is used during the emulsification stage of the sauce. We have all seen a broken sauce where butter seems separated from the wine, chicken stock reduction. Using cold butter off the heat, swirled and whisked in keeps the sauce together. The cold butter stage is where most cooks lose the classic chicken francaise presentation. The sauce will become separated. Keep the butter cold until you are ready to use it.
9. Fresh Parsley & Lemon Slices
Sprinkled parsley adds a nice green color contrast to the dish making it present nicely and the lemon slices make a nice touch either whole sliced adding a couple on top of or alongside the francaise using wedges.
Tips for success (what makes this Chicken francaise perfect)
Pat the chicken dry: Before dredging in flour. The moisture will make the flour into a paste. Drying the chicken will ensure the flour evenly coats the chicken. I salt and pepper the chicken directly. Salt will begin to draw water out so pat the chicken dry before dredging in the flour.
Why the cold butter matters: Montering or Monter au beurre is the method used to emulsify the sauce.
Warm butter releases its fat as soon as it hits the hot sauce causing the sauce to separate. Cold butter taken directly from the fridge melts slowly and should be done off the heat! Allowing the milk solids and fat to blend slowly when whisked and swirled into the pan liquid. Montering or Monter au beurre is the method used to emulsify the sauce and give the Chicken francaise its glossy look.
About salt: “You can add salt but you can't take it out” is the old saying. I have seen many recipes that add salt (and pepper) to the flour. Or salt and pepper to the emulsified sauce before adding capers. I do not do this. I have learned the hard way that you always want to control the salt. Yes, of course I have ruined many dishes by oversalting like anyone else. Mistakes happen. However, I try to make sure salt is mostly manually controlled. Every ingredient, such as salted butter, salted chicken broth and not rinsing the capers can all oversalt the dish before you even take a taste. I salt and pepper the chicken directly, press it into the chicken then use a paper towel to dry them and then put it right into the flour and into the pan. Check the need for salt at the end. Now, if you oversalt the chicken? Well, that’s on you.
Have all the ingredients prepped and ready: This goes for any recipe you make. Not prepping can cause you headaches of all kinds and sometimes a ruined dish. How many times have you forgotten an ingredient because you didn't prep them first?
Make-Ahead instructions
Prepping Cutlets: You can filet the chicken into cutlets, pound them and store them flat in an airtight container separated by layers of parchment paper up to 24-hrs ahead of time. Do not season or dredge in flour until sauteeing.
Partial or advance cooking: A time saver here can be sauteeing the cutlets 30 minutes prior to making the sauce. Store on a covered dish at room temperature. Build the sauce before serving. I have sauteed the cutlets the day before for a dinner party. Season the chicken and dredge in flour then saute the cutlets. Allow them to come to room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge 30 min before adding to the sauce in the pan and allow them to warm in the sauce. However, you will lose some of the flavor you left in the pan the day before.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my sauce break or come out oily?
Sauces break when butter is added over direct, high heat or if the butter was not cold directly from the fridge. You can try to fix this by adding a splash of cold chicken stock and whisk it vigorously until it comes back together.
Can I use store bought chicken cutlets?
Absolutely. This is a time saver however, may cost you a few more dollars. Lay them on your cutting board and check they are even thickness. You may need to pound them.
What if the sauce is too salty?
The simple fix is to toss out the sauce and start over. Simply wash your pan or grab another one and rebuild your sauce using unsalted ingredients, salting at the end to taste. The only loss is the flavors left behind when you seared the cutlets.But, you saved the dish.
How do I make this for a crowd?
Ok, this can be done. I have done it. Saute as many cutlets as you need and place them on a covered platter. Then, multiply the sauce recipe for as many cutlets you made and build the sauce. Then, in small batches, transfer the chicken to the sauce, coat the cutlets, then put them back on the platter. Then, pour the remaining sauce over the platter and garnish. This especially works great if you are using chafing dishes if you made the chicken the night before.
Classic Chicken Francaise
Serving time and info:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 Cutlet (with 3 Tbsps sauce)
Note: If you plan to serve the francaise with pasta and the sauce double the amount of the liquids
Ingredients
Chicken & Dredge
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut horizontally into 4 thin cutlets)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Large eggs
3 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped italian leaf parsley
Sauteing
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
The Pan Sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Thin lemon slices (for garnish)
Recipe
Step 1. Prep and pound tenderizing the chicken
On a cutting board using a sharp knife, filet the chicken breasts.
Cover the cutlets with plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thickness
Season both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper and press it into the chicken.
Crack 3 large eggs into a shallow bowl and add the water. Add the parmesan and parsley to the eggs and scramble.
Step 2. Dredge
Spread the flour onto a shallow high rimmed dish or plate.
Pat the chicken dry using a paper towel as you are ready to dredge.
Prepare a pan on medium-low heat adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter until you see it shimmering.
Immediately dredge each piece of chicken into the flour pressing it to coat both sides. Shake off the excess flour prior to placing it in the egg mixture.
Dip the chicken directly from the flour into the egg mixture then allow excess egg to drain. Adding the water to your egg mixture should allow the excess egg to drip off, not clump on the chicken.
Step 3. Sear the chicken cutlets
Place the dredged chicken directly into hot pan layer in slowly and swirl pan slightly ensure chicken does not stick
Add the chicken cutlets in a single layer and do not over crowd the pan. (work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan)
Saute the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side lifting a corner to check sear and cook until golden brown. (you can and should lift the chicken allowing the pan liquids to redistribute quickly under the chicken and don't be afraid to move chicken around in pain to get even sear and prevent sticking as the pan tends to be hotter in the middle)
Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil
Step 4. Build the sauce in the pan
Pour the white wine and the chicken stock into the hot pan.
Use a wooden spatula to scrape up the flavor packed brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it reduce by about half (approx. 4-5 minutes)
Once reduced, remove the pan from the heat and add 3-4 pats of cold butter. Stir or whisk and swirl the mixture until the butter melts and the sauce comes together (emulsifies) then drizzle in and whisk the the lemon juice from a measuring cup to control the amount of lemon flavor you want then place the pan back on the heat on low
Step 5. Finish and coat
Taste the sauce and adjust salt as needed
Return the chicken cutlets to the skillet, coating them in sauce. Spoon sauce over the top, warm the chicken in sauce and watch the sauce thicken.
Step 6. Serve
Plate the warm Chicken francaise immediately.
Spoon the pan sauce generously over the top of the chicken.
Garnish with fresh lemon slices over the top of the chicken or wedges alongside and chopped parsley.
Estimated Nutritional facts
Per serving I 1 cutlet with sauce
380 calories I 31g Protein I 11g Carbohydrates I 22g Total fat(10g saturated fat)
105mg Cholesterol I 430mg sodium I 1g Fiber I 1g Sugars