My Mom’s History with Chicken Francese
When my mom first came to America in the 1980s, the world of Western food was understandably foreign. Having grown up on a diet of the dishes her mother and grandmother would prepare back in Shanghai, she hadn’t tried foods from other provinces of China let alone the U.S. or Europe. My mom has told me stories about the culinary culture shock she experienced when she arrived in upstate New York. After landing at JFK airport, she and her family drove up to Monticello, NY, where my great grandmother had settled years earlier. They had dinner at a pizza parlor on Main Street, and when the pizza came out, the smell of all the mozzarella cheese didn’t exactly have its desired effect on this particular table of diners. I believe my mom’s exact words were, “it smelled like feet.” Chicken Francese,on the other hand, was a welcome slice of familiarity to my fresh-off-the-boat mom, who found herself in a diner one day, scanned the menu, saw that the Chicken Francese was served with rice, and immediately ordered it. “It wasn’t just that it was served with rice––there was something about the egg batter and the mild sauce that felt familiar (see her Shanghai braised pork chops recipe, which uses a similar egg batter technique), and it stuck in my head. Every time I went to a diner, I would have Chicken Francese.”What is Chicken Francese?
My mom has come a long way since 1983, but she still loves Chicken Francese, a dish invented by another set of immigrants––Italians. Chicken Francese consists of chicken breast pounded or sliced crosswise, dredged, and dipped in egg. It’s then fried in olive oil and simmered in a sauce of lemon, white wine, and garlic.
While I served mine with pasta instead of rice, preparing this big plate of Chicken Francese did feel very much like a return to my mom’s origins, and by extension, mine too.
Okay, let’s get into how to make it.
Chicken Francese: Recipe Instructions
Prepare the chicken breast and set aside on a plate. Add the flour to a shallow dish or pie plate, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands to combine.
In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons water.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour.
Dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off.
When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a plate and set aside.
Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the garlic, wine, broth, and lemon juice, and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the butter.
Return the chicken to the pan, and place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through.
Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serving your Chicken Francese with pasta or rice.
Recipe
Chicken Francese, An Italian American Classic
Chicken Francese is pounded chicken breast dredged in flour, dipped in egg, fried in olive oil and simmered in a sauce of lemon, white wine,garlic and herbs
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (halved crosswise)
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon (thinly sliced)
- 5 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken breast and set aside on a plate. Add the flour to a shallow dish or pie plate, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands to combine. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and then dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the chicken cutlets to a plate and set aside.
- Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the garlic, wine, broth, and lemon juice, and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the butter.
- Return the chicken to the pan, and place the lemon slices on top of the cutlets. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving with pasta or rice.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 282kcal (14%) Carbohydrates: 14g (5%) Protein: 17g (34%) Fat: 16g (25%) Saturated Fat: 5g (25%) Cholesterol: 101mg (34%) Sodium: 523mg (22%) Potassium: 341mg (10%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin A: 425IU (9%) Vitamin C: 14.4mg (17%) Calcium: 28mg (3%) Iron: 1.6mg (9%)
