Chicken Francese

Lightly battered pan-fried chicken breast with an elegant white wine lemon sauce. It's like Chicken Piccata, but a thicker sauce, more of it, no capers, with subtle lemon flavour. It's got a terrific crust that soaks up the sauce! Lovely restaurant dish that's simple to make at home.

Doesn't taste winey because the alcohol is cooked out, leaving behind magical flavour only wine can bring to sauces.

CHICKEN FRANCESE

CHICKEN & COATING:

• 2 large chicken breasts skinless boneless (250-300g / 8-10oz each), cut in half horizontally
• Flour dredge: 1/4 cup flour, plain/all-purpose + 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper

Whisk: 2 large eggs + 1 tbsp milk

COOKING & SAUCE:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced 0.3cm / 1/8″
• 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp flour, plain/all-purpose
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth, low sodium
• 1/3 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine*
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp white pepper (sub black)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Coat chicken in flour, shake of excess, set aside. Heat the oil in a large non stick pan over medium-high heat. Dip chicken in egg then cook 3 min until golden. Flip, lower to medium, cook another 4 min until golden (internal temp 68°C/155°F). Remove onto a plate.

2. Cook lemon slices 1 min, flip, 30 sec. Remove onto plate. Wipe pan.

3. Still on medium, melt butter. Add flour, stir 1 min. While stirring, slowly pour in half the stock (this method should avoid lumps). Once the flour is dissolved into the liquid, stir in remaining stock, then the wine, salt and pepper.* Turn the heat up slightly then simmer 3 – 4 min or until the sauce thickens into a syrupy consistency.

4. Return chicken and lemon slices to the pan, then spoon the sauce all over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley, serve chicken with serve. Great over mash!

* Use non-alcoholic white wine if you can’t consume alcohol. Or, skip and add 2 tbsp lemon juice to make a lemon sauce. If you have lumps, swish a whisk across the surface (don’t scratch non-stick pan base). Worst case: strain!