Chicken Francaise
This recipe has just a few ingredients but a lot going on. And it wants for capers. But nevermind. It’s fabulously simple and deceptively French (deceptively so, because it is not actually French). It is kind of German and kind of Italian, reminiscent of the Italian Chicken Piccata (without the capers). It’s a beautifully simple technique to master that makes for a glorious weeknight affair – over brown rice (for health), over pasta (for joy), or with a well-earned, crispy, buttery potato of choice. Or… wait, wait… haricot vert.
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what you need
this is a perfectly portioned weeknight dinner for two
2 fresh chicken breasts
1 lemon, washed
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup dry white wine
a handful of fresh chives, chopped finely
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
2 eggs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
5 tablespoons butter, cubed and kept cold
3 tablespoons olive oil
how to make it
Method: stovetop
Utensil: one very large pan
PREPARE slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you are left with four thinner chicken breasts, as if you were making schnitzel
in a small bowl, mix flour, oregano, paprika, and a generous amount of salt together
in another bowl, whisk the two eggs along with the parmesan cheese and a bit of salt
slice four rounds out of the center of the lemon and retain the two ends for juice
PAN FRY heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a very large pan over medium heat (leave the rest of the butter in the fridge). once heated, roll each piece of chicken one by one in the flour mixture, coating completely, and then dip in the egg mixture. arrange the four chicken breasts in the pan and allow to pan fry, flipping once, until almost cooked through (~150-160 degrees). remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and pan fry the four lemon slices for ~45 seconds on each side. remove those to a plate. by this point, your pan is probably smoking and quite hot.
SAUCE deglaze the pan with the white wine and scrape the chicken bits off the bottom of the pan (yes, there will be a lot of smoke. it’s okay, calm down). then add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. take the butter cubes from the fridge and roll them generously in the flour mixture before adding to the pan. whisk the butter in to create a very silky sauce. at this point, if you have a lot of chicken bits or flour chunks in your sauce, you have the option to strain it quickly and return it to the pan.
throw in your handful of chives (reserving a few for serving) and return the chicken breasts to the pan, spooning the sauce over them. place one lemon slice on each breast. squeeze the remainder of the lemon juice from the lemon ends into the sauce. allow to simmer for a few minutes until the chicken climbs over 165 degrees. if your chicken seems undercooked, you can put a lid on the pan and simmer on low for ~10 minutes to bring it up to temperature.
SERVE so far, my preference is to serve this over brown rice. it provides more structure than orzo. but if your jam is chicken piccata, I could easily see this over some capellini. it also pairs exceptionally well with sturdy green vegetation such as asparagus or broccoli, and/or potato mash or some sort of internet-trending crispy buttered potatoes. serve two chicken breasts over your base, spoon a little sauce on top, and throw on a few fresh chives and some additional parmesan cheese. enjoy immediately.
