Chicken Francese is an interesting version of what
italians thought
French cooking was like. The story of its creation tells that when italian
immigrants started opening up restaurants in
new york city, they had trouble drumming up business, because the brand of Italian
cuisine they served wasn't trendy enough for New Yorkers, who at the time were very into french cuisine. The intelligent restauranteers crafted
chicken francese as a French-style dish to be served to picky patrons. It's prepared thusly, and very delicious:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp butter
Pound chicken breasts until uniformly 1/4" thick. Mix egg, parmesan, and
parsley. Dredge chicken breasts through egg mixture, then through flour. Sautee breasts in oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Remove breasts and keep warm in 250 deg F oven. Drain excess oil. Add wine to
fond, and boil until reduced by half. Add stock and 1/4" thick lemon slices. Boil until reduced by half. Remove lemon slices, lower heat to low, and add butter. Whisk butter into sauce. Replace breasts into pan. Coat with sauce. Serve immediately.