American
Chicken Francese
Thin chicken cutlets are floured, dipped in lemon-scented egg, and sautéed until delicate before a white-wine, stock, lemon, and butter sauce brings the coating to life.
4 servings · 25 minutes prep · 25 minutes cook
Ingredients
Egg-Battered Cutlets
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 cutlets
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided: 1 teaspoon (3 g) for the chicken and 1/4 teaspoon (0.8 g) for the sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon-Wine Sauce
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Prepare the Cutlets
- Pound the chicken cutlets to an even 1/4 inch (6 mm). Season with 1 teaspoon (3 g) of the salt and the pepper. Put the flour in one shallow dish; beat the eggs with the lemon zest in another.
Coat and Sauté
- Heat half the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium. Working just before frying, dredge two cutlets lightly in flour, shake well, then dip in egg and let the excess fall away.
- Sauté until softly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, and verify about 155 to 160°F (68 to 71°C) in the thickest part. Transfer to a clean plate. Wipe out dark egg fragments, add the remaining oil, and repeat.
Make the Lemon-Wine Sauce
- Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping the pan. Add the stock and reduce for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly concentrated.
- Lower the heat, add the lemon juice, and return the cutlets for about 1 minute, continuing only as needed until their thickest parts reach 165°F (74°C); transfer them out promptly. Remove the skillet from heat, whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time, then add the parsley. Taste and whisk in up to the remaining 1/4 teaspoon (0.8 g) salt as needed before spooning the sauce over the cutlets.
Allergen and Product Check
- Allergen note: contains wheat, egg, and milk. Each single-axis variation removes only its named allergen; verify labels and recognize that the other base allergens remain.
