Sunday Supper: Chicken Francese
This classic, lemony Italian dish can be a bright spot on cold winter days.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 17, 2025 at 1:30PM
Serves about 4.
From “What Goes With What,” by bestselling author Julia Turshen, who writes: “This is such a classic Italian-American dish, and I just love it. The egg coating becomes so beautifully golden brown and the perfect texture for the lemony sauce. I taught this recipe in one of my Sunday afternoon cooking classes and it was a HIT. We had it with garlic bread and Italian Chopped Salad. Such a terrific meal!” (Flatiron, 2024)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, the other juiced
- ¼ c. dry white wine (or dry vermouth or additional chicken broth)
- ¾ c. chicken broth (or boiling water mixed with Better Than Bouillon)
- 2 tbsp. butter, cut into 4 small cubes
- Large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (some tender stems are fine!), finely chopped
Directions
Place one of the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and use a meat pounder (or a rubber mallet or the bottom of a small but heavy pot) to pound it until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken breasts.
Place the flour, garlic powder and salt in a wide, shallow bowl and whisk well to combine. Place the eggs in another shallow bowl and whisk well to combine.
Place the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour and knock off any excess, then dip into the beaten egg, turning to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, and add to the hot oil. Cook, flipping the chicken once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Do this in batches, if necessary (adding more oil to the pan if needed); discard any excess flour and eggs (they’ve done their jobs). Transfer the chicken to a large serving platter.
Add the lemon slices to the fat remaining in the pan and cook, stirring, until a tiny bit softened, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, white wine and chicken broth and turn the heat to high. Boil, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any stuck-on bits, until the liquid has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low and stir in the butter one cube at a time, waiting until each melts and is incorporated before adding the next.
Pour the sauce and sliced lemons over the chicken and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather, upending months of meticulous planning for a massive outdoor event with crowds sprawling down the National Mall.
