Authentic Italian Cooking with Jag2112 - Part II - Chicken Francaise with a Twist...Aug 02 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line One of my favorite dishes to prepare and consume - flavored with a kick.
Welcome again class to the on-line cooking show Authentic Italian Cooking with Jag2112. A 5-part series on preparing authentic, old-world Italian cuisine that's bursting with flavors and aromas. Part I (See: http://www.epinions.com/content_2784469124) dealt with the preparation of real Italian pasta sauce with meatballs. Pasta, as we all know, is a staple in Italian cuisine. But equally popular and delicious are the various sautéed dishes that Italian fare excels at. For Part II of this series, we're going to be a looking at a delicate chicken dish that, when prepared correctly, is absolutely mouth watering. Chicken Francaise ala Jag2112 is a derivative on an Italian restaurant classic. Essentially, Chicken Francaise is an egg-dipped chicken breast, sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and accompanied by a white wine, butter and lemon sauce. Sounds simple and easy, right? Well, surprisingly, I've spent over 10 years perfecting this recipe. I've prepared it using many different methods and ingredients until I finally became satisfied with my results. Then I went off on a tangent and improved it - adding my own little twists which catapult the flavor of this dish to new heights. So, aprons on, whisks and spatulas ready. Let's start cooking! Chicken Francaise ala Jag2112 Required Ingredients Chicken 4 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breasts 1 cup of general purpose flour 1/4 cup of General Mills Wondra(tm) Flour Salt Black Pepper 2 Large Eggs Grated Parmigiana Cheese Olive Oil Sauce 1 1/2 Cups of White Wine (do not use lemon-flavored wine) 1 stick of butter (salted) Grated Parmigiana Cheese Fresh Garlic (1 clove) Garlic Powder 1 Lemon Lemon Juice Dried Parsley Flavor Kickers 2 oz of Pancetta (Italian Seasoned Ham) 1 tablespoon of Pignoli (pine) Nuts 1 tablespoon of Capers (small) Tobasco Sauce Required Equipment Frying Pan (large) Sauce Pan (small) meat mallet Preparation You'll notice that I separated the ingredients related to the 'flavor kickers' which is my own concoction. None of these 'flavor kickers' are required for the dish if you'd prefer to go the easy route, but the added time you spend with some or all of these will certainly be worth it to your taste buds. Let's start with the simple preparation of the chicken. Take your chicken breasts and slice them open (butterfly cut) to form one larger and thinner piece. Or, if you prefer, slice them into two equally sized (and thinner) pieces. Then, using your meat mallet, hammer them thin (to about 1/4 inch or less thickness). Doing this to the chicken will make it far more tender and will allow it to cook quicker and absorb more flavor. Next, take your all-purpose flour and place it in a freezer bag (trust me). Season the flour with some salt and pepper then place one breast at a time in the bag. Now, begin kneading the bag, pressing on it, what have you - until the breast is completely covered with flour. Press down hard on it as well to insure it adheres. Shake off any excess flour from the breast and set it on a dish. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts. Neat way of flouring something, isn't it? When done, throw away the bag and flour and there's no clean up :) Martha Stewart, eat your heart out. :) Now it's time to multitask a little bit. If you are using the flavor kickers, take your slices of Pancetta and cut them into small pieces (dime-sized). Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in your frying pan and begin cooking the Pancetta. Keep the heat about medium to medium high. The Pancetta will take about 5 minutes to cook - turning a nice shade of brown, almost like bacon. While it's cooking, take a large bowl, crack open your eggs in it, add a tablespoon or two of water, some salt, pepper and a tablespoon or so of the grated Parmigiana cheese. Whisk the ingredients together until incorporated. Now, get your breasts and egg mixture ready and stationed next to the frying pan. Once you feel the Pancetta is cooked enough, remove the pieces to a dish, along with a tablespoon of oil and set it aside. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and allow to heat up for a few minutes. Now it's time to sauté the chicken. Dip one or two breasts into the egg mixture at a time, making certain to completely coat each piece. Carefully and quickly place the covered breasts into the frying pan and repeat with the final breasts. Get ready for more multitasking. I've found that the best results are had if you cook each side of the breasts in 2 minute rotations for 6 minutes per side each (12 minutes total). It's important to keep the breasts moving slightly will sautéing. This will avoid scorching any one side. So, while you're cooking the breasts, it's time to begin your sauce. Place the cooked pancetta and oil in your sauce pan along with your butter. And begin heating with low heat. Once the butter is almost completely melted, add your wine and begin to stir. Watch your chicken! Once all sauce ingredients are incorporated, add your fresh garlic, a dash or two of your powdered garlic, some grated cheese and a pinch of salt. Gently stir the mixture for a few moments and begin to add just a tablespoon of the Wondra flour. I use this flour for thickening the sauce because it never clumps. Otherwise, normal flour can be substituted. After stirring the mixture for a minute, add some pignoli nuts and the capers - continue to stir. If you feel the sauce is too thin, add a little more flour and stir. If it's too thick, add more wine. Getting the sauce just right does take a little effort. You're not making gravy here, but a light, almost water-like consistency sauce. The flour should just give it a slightly more creamy consistency - no more. Now, as your chicken is almost done, add about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the sauce. Be careful - adding too much lemon juice can really ruin the sauce. Give it a taste. If you want more lemon juice, add a drop or two. If it is too lemony, add a little more grated cheese (didn't see that one coming I'll bet). 10 years of research nets a lot of strange results :) Once the chicken is done, immediately place it on a dish (letting any surface oil drip back to the pan) Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce on top of the chicken (make sure to grab some of the Pancetta, Capers and Pignoli Nuts). Sprinkle some more grated cheese on top, garnish with some dried parsley and a slice or two of lemon, and you've got yourself a wonderful dish. Ah, but wait John. You forgot about the Tobasco sauce! If you like, put two (and I mean TWO!) drops of Tobasco sauce on each breast. It'll be absorbed into the chicken and give it an incredible flavor kick as it incorporates with the sauce. An excellent addition to this dish is angel hair pasta which cooks in 2 minutes. The only thing left now is to sit down, light some candles and enjoy a meal that your guests will swear was cooked by a professional chef. And when you taste this, and feel the chicken melting in your mouth, you'll think the same thing. Enjoy everyone! As always, questions, comments, suggestions are welcomed. Thanks for reading. -John  |
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