Chicken Francese

Source: New York Times, Dec. 12, 2018

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
• ½ tsp black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 cup flour
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into thin cutlets
• 3 to 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
• ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 to 4 tbsp minced parsley

Method

1. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

2. In a wide skillet, heat the olive and vegetable oils over medium heat until shimmering.

3. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, lightly dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg batter, let excess batter drip back into the bowl, and place in the skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as the cutlets cook so they brown slowly and evenly with a steady bubbling. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined pan and repeat with the remaining cutlets.

4. When all cutlets are browned, remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Return the pan to low heat.

5. If using the lemon slices, melt 3 tbsp of the butter, then scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring gently occasionally, until the lemon slices are golden and browning around the edges, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set them aside.

6. Add 3 tbsp butter, the vinegar, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened into a sauce, about 5 minutes. (It will thicken more when you add the cutlets.) Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon, salt, and pepper; it should be quite lemony and not too salty.

7. Reduce the heat, tuck the cutlets into the pan, and simmer very gently until the sauce is velvety and the chicken pieces are heated through, about 4 minutes. Turn the cutlets over occasionally in the sauce. Place the browned lemon slices on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve, spooning some of the sauce over each serving.