Chicken French With Escarole

Chicken French is a dish that was allegedly created by Italian-Americans in NYC that moved to Rochester, NY which is the chef’s home city. There it grew in popularity and basically made its claim to fame around the area. It is also referred to as Chicken Francaise and/or Chicken Francese but they are all basically the same general idea with the same or very similar ingredients. When you see the name French in a dish you would expect it to be a French dish, however that is not the case here as this dish literally has no origin or ties to France. Even the Sherry wine, which is a main component of the dish is from Spain. Regardless of the confusing and borderline ridiculous name it is a very popular and delicious dish and is worth making if you’ve never had it before. If you have had it before and are just looking for a recipe, be sure to read on because there are plenty of tips in the reading ahead.
This recipe starts with preparation of your chicken breasts. You will need to butterfly two 6oz chicken breasts and then tenderize them with a meat tenderizer. An easy way to do this is, after butterflying your chicken lay each piece over a sheet of plastic wrap. Place another sheet of plastic wrap over top (it will keep the chicken juice from flying everywhere in your kitchen) and then use either a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a sauté pan to flatten and tenderize your chicken. You should end up with four pieces of thin and tender chicken breast fillets.
To make your dredging flour you need to add all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl and mix them together. This will be your seasoned flour. Coat each piece of chicken with the seasoned flour. This will help the egg wash/batter to stick to your chicken.
To make the egg wash/batter you will crack and beat two eggs in a separate mixing bowl. Add one tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley to the egg wash. If you add just a splash of water to the eggs it will thin out slightly and will help to coat the chicken. For a small batch it isn’t necessary but if you want to scale this recipe up it is a useful tip. You can also add two teaspoons of parmesan to the egg wash/batter mix if you’d like, it will only add to the flavor of the crust of the chicken. Place each piece of chicken in the egg wash and toss coat. Leave the chicken in the eggs while you move forward to make the escarole.
Escarole is perhaps one of the healthiest leafy greens you can eat. It is rich in vitamins and when it is cooked properly it tastes outstanding. This entire step is optional, if you aren’t in love with escarole or healthy greens then you can move on to cooking the chicken.
For those of you who are ready to cook your escarole, let’s begin by heating olive oil in a sauté pan (5.5 quart pan or a size close to that will work for this recipe). Add the escarole to the pan and sauté but do not cook completely. Just cook enough so that it wilts and turns dark green, about ten minutes. Remove the escarole from the pan and reserve it for later.
In the same sauté pan add your butter and let it melt completely. Take your chicken directly from the egg wash and place it into the sauté pan while gently moving the sauté pan back and forth to keep it from sticking. Sear both sides of the chicken until it has a nice brown crust.
Add sherry wine (we use cooking wine here but it can be any sherry wine that you enjoy), chicken stock, and lemon juice to the pan. Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce the heat so that the stock is at a simmer.
Temporarily, remove the chicken from the stock and set aside.
This next step is also optional and is based on preference. If you like your Chicken French to be more of a thin broth then move onto the next step. If you like your Chicken French sauce to be more of a sauce then you will do that by making a roux.
To make a roux, add butter to a small sauté pan over low heat. Once the butter melts, add flour and stir until the butter and flour are mixed together. Cook the roux for a few minutes while continuously moving it to cook the flour taste out.
Add the roux to the pan with the French sauce in it. Using a whisk stir and break apart the roux. In a few minutes the roux will start to thicken the sauce.
Add the escarole, chicken, and chopped parsley to the pan and continue to cook for another five minutes.
Your chicken should be cooked through but as always, temp the chicken to make sure you have an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
To plate, add a bed of escarole to each plate. Gently place two fillets of chicken over top of the escarole. Once both plates are made this way, equally pour the remaining French sauce over top of the chicken and escarole.
Generously grate parmesan cheese over each plate and then garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and fresh lemon slices.
This is a very basic recipe that has a ton of room for escalation. Adding fresh chopped garlic and red pepper flake to the sauce is a quick way to kick it up a notch.
Any pasta pairs well with Chicken French, it is common to see it served with Capellini(Angel Hair) or Farfalle(Bowtie). It is important to note that pasta absorbs a lot of the sauce, Angel Hair especially will make your sauce disappear. If you plan on serving with pasta in French sauce then double all of your sauce ingredients to accommodate.