Weeknight Chicken Francese — The Pan-Sauce Wednesday

Cody is on day five hundred and eighty-five. Eighty-five days remaining. The first full week of senior year ran the way a senior year first week ran — new schedules, the same teachers I have been with for two years, college-application meetings with Mrs. Patterson the guidance counselor that have been building since June.

And the recipe Wednesday was weeknight chicken Francese. The recipe is from Averie Cooks. Pounded chicken cutlets dredged in flour and egg, pan-fried in butter, finished in a pan sauce of butter, lemon juice, white wine (chicken broth substitute), and parsley. The Italian-American classic from the 1960s, in twenty-five minutes total.

The math: chicken thighs pounded into cutlets $2.79, two eggs, flour, butter, lemon, fresh parsley, chicken broth from bouillon. Total: about $4.50 for two dinners.

The technique is the dredge-egg-fry sequence and the pan-sauce build. Dredge each pounded thigh in seasoned flour, then dip in egg, then fry in hot butter. Two minutes per side. Remove. In the same pan, deglaze with chicken broth and lemon juice, simmer ninety seconds, finish with butter and parsley off the heat. Pour over the chicken on the plate.

Mama said, eating, baby, this is the kind of dinner restaurants charge fourteen dollars a plate for.

The recipe is below. The trick is the dredge-then-egg sequence (not the other way around) and the pan-sauce in the same pan.

Weeknight Chicken Francese

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each), pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or low-sodium chicken broth)
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Dredge the chicken. In a shallow dish, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. In a second shallow dish, beat eggs with milk. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg mixture, letting any extra drip off.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook 3—4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
3. Build the pan sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
4. Finish the sauce. Add chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook 3—4 minutes until the sauce has reduced by about a third. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted and the sauce is glossy. Add lemon slices.
5. Return the chicken. Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet. Spoon sauce over the top and simmer 1—2 minutes to warm through. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately over egg noodles, pasta, or with crusty bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 360 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 390mg