Chicken Francese with Angel Hair Pasta

lemon chicken with pasta

Chicken Francese is an Italian-American dish that consists of thinly pounded chicken cutlets, dredged in flour then egg, then fast sautéed and which will ultimately end up in a delicious lemon, butter and wine sauce.

It sounds like chicken piccata but it’s really not. Picatta has capers, this does not. Picatta is dipped in egg then flour, Francese is dredged in flour first then egg, and it really makes a difference.

francese process

You must have thinly sliced chicken breast, so you’ll need to slice a whole breast lengthwise and then pound it down a little, of course unless you can find it already done for you like I did.

Another important thing is you’ll want to heat your pan up really good and hot, add the oil and when the olive oil shimmers you can do your fast cooking on each side, but don’t over crowd the pan!

lemony chicken with pasta

I love serving this dish with angel hair pasta better known as capellini,  the thin strands soak up all the juices, it’s perfect!

chicken and pasta

For something green I made some rapini on the side which went very well with it all.

teen enjoying food

My family came over and we made this dish together, a fun night together and we enjoyed every bite!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Chicken Francese with Angel Hair Pasta
 
Chicken swimming in a delicious lemony butter sauce served with capellini pasta.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 4 whole chicken breast, thinly sliced lengthwise to equal 8 pieces all together pounded down to make them nice and thin
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup of white wine
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 3 cloves, chopped garlic
  • 1 lemon zested and sliced
  • butter and olive oil
  • fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 lb. of angel hair pasta/ capellini
Instructions
  1. Set up all your ingredients first, have everything chopped and ready. to go because this goes pretty fast, while you're doing that start heating up your pan, don't use a nonstick pan, stainless is best for this.
  2. Have your dredging stations set up, in the flour add salt and pepper, in the egg mixture also add salt and pepper.
  3. Add a good amount of. olive oil to the hot pan and when its starts to ripple you're good to go.
  4. Dredge your cutlet into the flour first then into the egg, don't over crowd the pan do it in stages if you have to, I did 3 at a time.
  5. Quick fry on each side about 3 minutes, then set aside.Chicken should be tender and golden crispy.
  6. No need to clean your pan, now add the lemon slices and lightly brown on each side then remove and place with the chicken.
  7. Now add a good knob of butter and more olive oil and saute your shallot and garlic together.
  8. Now deglaze with the white wine and let it reduce to half.
  9. Add another knob of butter and stir in around 3 tablespoons of flour to make a roux.
  10. Now add the stock, lemon, juice and zest, then keep stirring till it thickens up a bit.
  11. Now it's time to put the chicken and sliced lemons into the lemony sauce, I actually got a bigger pan and just poured all of the sauce on top.
  12. Let it all simmer together for a little bit making sure chicken is cooked through.
  13. Have your pasta cooked, make sure to scoop some of that sauce into the cooked pasta, it's time to eat!
  14. Garnish with chopped parsley, a little drizzle of olive oil
  15. This dish is best eaten right away, I wouldn’t make it ahead.
  16. Enjoy

 

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Chicken and Feta Phyllo Pie

chicken and feta phyllo pie

This is a gorgeous savory pie that’s filled with chicken, feta and parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, onions and garlic, and the best part is it’s nestled between a crunchy crust of phyllo dough.

I said it before and I’ll say it again, don’t be afraid to use phyllo, it’s so easy to use and so forgiving, even if you tear a piece no worries, no one would even know, trust me on that!

chicken phyllo pie ingredients You’ll need some precooked chicken which you can either roast yourself or to save time you can even buy a rotisserie chicken. Good quality Greek feta and parmesan cheese is a must for exceptional flavor.

chicken and feta phyllo pie The crunchy crust against the creamy, savory filling is such a delicious match, it’s rustic and fancy all at the same time.

chicken and feta phyllo pie

Serve this with a nice green salad and you’re good to go!

Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chicken and Feta Phyllo Pie
 
Author:
Recipe type: Recipe adapted from Mediterranean Cooking
Ingredients
  • 1 lb and ½ of precooked chicken meat, preferably white meat chopped or shredded
  • 2 cups of chicken stock, boxed, low sodium, warmed
  • 8 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup of grated parmesan
  • ⅓ cup all purposed flour
  • ¼ cup each of parsley and basil
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3 or 4 green onions, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 8 sheets of phyllo pastry
  • olive oil
Instructions
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add onions and garlic, stir until onions soften.
  2. Add flour and stir together for 1 minute then gradually pour in the warmed stock cooking over medium heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool down for 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil a 10 inch springform pan.
  4. In a large bowl place all the chicken, the cooled down sauce, eggs, all the cheese and herbs. Mix together until well combined.
  5. Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with oil, line the pan then top with remaining sheets which have all been brushed with olive oil as well.
  6. Pour in the chicken filling then roll the edges of the pastry and tuck down the side of the pan.
  7. Bake pie for about i hour and 15 minutes. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes befor releasing the pan and serving.

 

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PETTO DI POLLO!!! (CHICKEN BREAST)

CHICKEN WITH GORGONZOLA AND TOASTED WALNUTS
Gorgonzola is one of those cheese’s that you either like, or you don’t like, you know,it’s a blue cheese thing! it has a little bite to it, along with a very rich and creamy taste.Well I happen to love Gorgonzola, and if your like me, you’ll love this recipe.
Lightly dust chicken in flour, salt &Pepper,and saute in some butter and olive oil till golden. Remove chicken. Add a couple of shallots and deglaze with 1/2 cup of white wine. Return chicken to the pan on low heat turning them once or twice. Place Gorgonzola on top, cover till melted. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. A simple concept, that gives you a delicious result!! Adapted from 1,000 Italian Recipes

CHICKEN PARMESAN
Sometimes Chicken Parm tends to be heavy with all that breading and frying, this is a much lighter version,that I saw Giada do, it’s a fresh approach with mega flavor!! The key element to this dish is brushing the chicken with a fresh herb oil, yes, make your own, chop up some fresh herbs and place them in a small bowl with some extra virgin olive oil. I used rosemary,thyme, and parsley but you can use whatever you like. Make sure you have a homemade sauce with good tomatoes, I always use San Marzzano, the flavor is fantastic with no bitterness. Squish your tomatoes in some olive oil and garlic, and add some fresh basil thats it!Simple!
Brush both sides of the chicken with the herb oil and saute in pan, till almost cooked. Place fresh mozzarella on top along with sauce and place in oven till melted and cooked through.Top with shaved parm. I’m sure you will love this if you give it a try!

CHICKEN CUTLETS
Again, this is a little lighter version I like to make when I’m trying to watch the carbs! There are no bread crumbs in this, just chicken lightly dipped in egg and then into Romano, parm or a mixture of both, some fresh chopped parsley, and a little lemon peel, salt & pepper.Saute in olive oil till crispy. Believe me you won’t miss the breadcrumbs!!

BUON APPETITO!

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CHICKEN MARSALA

 

What a Classic!!!… But yet it is so simple and easy to prepare! I often make this mid week when I want to whip something up fast, and yet it’s ELEGANT enough for a great dinner party! The Star of the whole dish is of course, the Marsala wine, what a wonderful aroma and flavor it gives to the sauce, it just elevates mere chicken to a new level!! I pretty much just brown the chicken, I don’t even dust it with flour. After that, I remove the chicken, saute the mushrooms & onions and some smashed garlic, deglaze with a little chicken broth, and of course the key ingredient!! the Marsala wine (don’t be skimpy!) and to smooth out the sauce, I put a few dollop’s of mascapone. Put the chicken back in ,with a lid on the pan and simmer till done sprinkle with fresh parsley.
For an updated version of my favorite sauces please check out my new ebook launched in 2013, here’s the link.
As a side dish, I made some easy fingerling potato’s tossed in lemon infused olive oil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper.
So, if you don’t have a bottle of Marsala laying around go and get one! With just a little effort you can turn out a great meal!!
Buon Appetito!!

 

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