Chicken Francese with Lemon-White Wine Butter Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The soul of this Italian-American classic is the batter order: a whisper of seasoned flour, then a generous dunk in beaten egg, cooked over moderate heat so the coating puffs and sets into a soft golden blanket instead of a crisp crust. Pan drippings become a glossy lemon-wine butter sauce in about four minutes. Dinner-party worthy, weeknight fast.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb total)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2/3 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 5 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Halve each chicken breast horizontally to make 4 flat pieces. Lay them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or heavy skillet to an even 1/4 inch thick. Pat completely dry with paper towels and season both sides with the 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Let sit 10 minutes at room temperature.
2. Set up two shallow dishes. In the first, spread the flour. In the second, whisk the 4 eggs with the Parmesan, 2 tbsp parsley, and 1 tbsp water until fully uniform and slightly foamy — no streaks of white, or the coating will cook unevenly.
3. Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned stainless skillet over medium heat. The oil should shimmer but never smoke; if it starts to smoke, pull the pan off the heat for 30 seconds. Moderate heat is what lets the egg set golden instead of browning too fast.
4. Working with one cutlet at a time, dredge in flour and shake off every bit of excess — you want a barely visible dusting. Then lower it into the egg, turn to coat thickly, and lift so a generous curtain of egg clings to the surface.
5. Lay 2 cutlets in the pan without crowding. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until the underside is set and evenly pale gold, spooning a little pan fat over the top to help the upper coating firm up. Flip once and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the chicken registers 160°F at the thickest point. Transfer to a plate.
6. Wipe out any dark specks with a paper towel, add a splash more oil if the pan looks dry, and cook the remaining 2 cutlets the same way. Move all chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
7. Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of fat. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the minced shallot, and cook 1 minute until softened and fragrant.
8. Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by about half. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon and measures roughly 3/4 cup.
9. Lower the heat to its lowest setting. Add the cold butter a few cubes at a time, swirling the pan constantly, adding more only when the previous cubes have nearly melted. The sauce should turn opaque and glossy. Do not let it boil once the butter is in or it will break. Taste and add salt as needed.
10. Slide the cutlets and the lemon rounds into the sauce, spooning it over the top, and warm over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Scatter with the remaining 2 tbsp parsley and serve immediately, with extra sauce spooned over — angel hair pasta or crusty bread is ideal for catching it.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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