Chicken French

By
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry.
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Updated on 07/25/19
Rochester Chicken
Special*Dark/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

This "un-French" recipe is a distant cousin to an Italian sautéed veal dish called vitello francese which uses a sauce similar to ones used in France. The recipe came to New York City with the first wave of Italian-American immigrants and became known as "Veal French." Eventually, the recipe migrated to Rochester, New York's large Italian-American community, where the chicken was substituted for the more expensive veal.

Ingredients

  • For the Chicken:
  • 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (sliced or pounded-out, into 1/4-in thick pieces)
  • 4 eggs, plus 2 tablespoon milk (beaten)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Cayenne to taste
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon butter (for sautéing)
  • For the Sauce:
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup good white wine or dry sherry
  • 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoon cold butter (cut into cubes)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Season chicken pieces on both sides with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a baking dish and mix well.

  2. Combine the beaten eggs and milk in another dish. Dredge the chicken, one at a time, in the flour to coat both sides and then transfer into the dish of eggs. Turn the chicken in the egg to coat both sides, and leave in the egg.

  3. Once all the chicken is floured and transferred into the dish of eggs, place in the refrigerator until needed. In a large non-stick skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over med-low heat, until it begins to sizzle slightly. Lift the chicken pieces out of the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Cook in batches and keep warm in a very low oven.

  4. When all the chicken is cooked, add the lemon juice, wine, and broth to the pan. Bring to a boil over high heat until reduced by half. Turn off the pan, and add the parsley and cold butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter melts. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust.

  5. Place the chicken on warm plates and spoon over the sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
491 Calories
31g Fat
15g Carbs
37g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 491
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 254mg 85%
Sodium 1678mg 73%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 37g
Calcium 86mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)