Lemony, Buttery Francese: Chicken Breasts Never Had it So Good

Test cook Becky Hays cooks host Julia Collin Davison fail-proof Chicken Francese. Eggy and elegantly lavished with lemony beurre blanc, Francese has long been one of the great Italian American cutlet traditions.
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[@Chiamex]

I live in Rochester, and now this dish is both called and listed on menus as just "Chicken French." Yes, it is delicious, and after work, if you're in a rush to get dinner ready, just stop by Wegman's and pick up their version of Chicken French. Just reheat and eat. Delicious!

[@rhight]

I lived in Buffalo for ten years--I knew there was a reason I liked you, Julia!😊 BTW--Becky is an absolutely outstanding cook. I always check out her demonstrations. Thanks, guys, for a very entertaining and informative program!

[@markbrookes6557]

I liked this video for 2 reasons. First, the recipe is a must try and second, that cookbook is a must buy!

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

Love ATK chicken recipes, because it's usually what I have on hand. Keep 'em coming!

[@edeyden1326]

Makes my mouth water as I was watching. Lemon is such a smart addition to chicken as well as other foods Thanks for this recipe version!

[@hlee-w9u]

was it the video that made your mouth water or the crap load of salt she used to season that chicken?

[@katv3607]

HOLY MOLY! Thank you for this delicious, easy way to make lemon chicken. I’ve never made it before but will now - a lot! I’m eating it as I write this and it really is soooo yummy. Thank you so much 💕

[@laihm7]

I love it! Becky and Julia makes me wanna drop everything and just COOK RIGHT NOW!

[@chappy675]

One of my favorite dishes!!! This looks so good!!!

[@patriciasmith4220]

Love Julia. Her cooking is great and she has the perfect personality for TV.

[@coreykurtz4646]

Becky is a BOSS!! I love watching Julia and Becky!! Great job ladies!

[@bothellkenmore]

I love all the cast but Becky and maybe Morgan on CC strike me as the nicest people, they just have an aura about them, they just brighten a room. If you've made Becky mad, you probably did something very bad.

[@b.garland1826]

I feel like I can make this. Trying tomorrow!

[@Grey45mph]

This is a great dish. I live in Rochester and love that this is offered at all the Italian restaurants around!

[@kated4359]

Love Becky; she’s so cheerful and sweet. 💛☀️

[@katherineb.3140]

Made this last night. It was a huge hit. Delicious 😋

[@cydkriletich6538]

Looks fab! Thank you, Becky.

[@winros]

I make chicken franchez all the time! Not only that, I do it with salmon and shrimp as well!😊

[@thomascondon9549]

This recipe is so close to your Chicken Piccata, it’s going to be a 😊fun analog to try.

[@iLoveLadyDiana]

Who ever is doing these ladies’ hair is fantastic! Their hair look beautiful 😍

[@TomSnyder--theJaz]

Great recipe Becky! Cheers (Becky needs to do these episodes by herself. She deserves it.)

[@ianglenn1454]

I love all the cast but she's definitely one of my favorites. I'd love to see her more often.

[@vlogandcookwithneelu]

Just wow looking amazing recipe 👌👌👌👌👌👌🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@Renegade_2023]

Doing the Flower City proud! Can’t wait to try it!

[@sarahsalem7371]

we need more ❤ that is so lovely

[@gilliandidierserre4190]

Love the technique clean hands and using a fork for flouring❤

[@reneetmp]

Lovely easy recipe, thank you!

[@lisaanim1]

Looks so good ! I will try it ❤

[@paul_domici]

This looks like the most amazing dish ever!!!

[@michelesews]

I've made this dish for years and everyone loves it. I will definitely try the alternative to beurre manie - a time saver there.

[@alansnipes3101]

This was delicious. I'll get better at halving the cutlets but the flavor combinations are wonderful.

[@lorie76yt]

I am SO making this! :)

[@Robert-s2q4i]

Delicious 😊❤

[@hoosiermama3001]

I very much appreciate it when the hosts mention washing their hands after handling chicken. Many people today aren't aware that this is important.

[@griffincontracting]

What would make you think that "many people" aren't aware of the importance of hand-washing? Who are these people?

[@hoosiermama3001]

@@griffincontracting they are among us 🤣

[@morbidtoaster8615]

I hope they tell us not to touch a hot stove in future videos

[@pibbitybibbity]

I wish they wouldn’t wear their rings while handling food, though. A simple hand wash does NOT completely clean the rings.

[@hoosiermama3001]

@@morbidtoaster8615 that can be learned thru experience

[@blbtx45]

Thank you 🙏😊

[@craigbrownstein]

I grew up in Rochester (Brighton) but we weren't Brown Derby regulars so I've never had the dish. But I'm definitely going to try this recipe. ATK rocks my life and kitchen. Give my regards to Brian Franklin!

[@alexandra10022]

I like to double the sauce recipe to pour over some noodles. Yum!

[@winstonelston5743]

I was asking about a starch and veggie pairing. I was thinking more toward a middle-eastern couscous or pilaf, maybe some sauteed green beans or artichoke hearts.

[@addammadd]

Pro tip: add the garlic after the wine so it certainly doesn’t burn. There is no benefit to risking the burn and placing the garlic directly into the acidic liquid has the added bonus of taming the alicin production leading to a smoother profile on the tongue.

[@wendyschnapa7582]

YUMMY! I can't wait to make it for dinner! Thank you!

[@gailaltschwager7377]

Thank you!

[@andrewrolfe7733]

I made this dish last evening... The chicken was very tasty and the family ate it like candy. The sauce was bit thin, I don't think I quite got the flour coating on the butter cubes right and the liquid cooked down enough..I will try again with a corn starch thinkening on back up just in case. Great recipe!

[@perotinofhackensack2064]

You can basically make a roux in the pan. an analogy - if you google "food wishes poutine:, chef john has a diff dish, but after he adds a fat (butter) he then adds a TAB or 2 of flour, and you cook it for a minute or two with the fat until it smells like baked crust in the oven, than you jack up your heat and deglaze with wine, stirring, reduce, then add your chicken stock, boil, reduce to simmer and reduce by half. If you get the boil for at least minute that will create the conditions for the roux to thicken the sauce. same effect as what these ladies did, except they hardly put any flour at all, relatively speaking. maybe that's why you got what you got? if you google 'tyler florence francese youtube', you'll see him do a similar roux process in the pan. but he didnt really let the flour cook for a minute or two in the fat to get a slight change in color to blonde from white, which I think he should have...

[@thatgirl626]

Going to,try this. YumO

[@blondeenotsomuch]

This plus artichoke, shaved pancetta, and capers is so good.

[@winstonelston5743]

Of, yeah! Capers! Any ideas for a starch?

[@danilincks5809]

I’m so making this chicken tomorrow!

[@lisaeastes3104]

My mouth is watering 😋 ❤❤❤

[@cynthiabeard1424]

I can't wait to make this!

[@mayling141]

Ohhhh yummy 😋

[@sandraseldon6734]

I learned a trick on cutting the chicken breast. Freeze the breast for fifteen minutes. Cutting it is so much easier.

[@karenreneelyles261]

Do you have a link to the pounder that was used?

[@stevenej9894]

I didn't know you were from Rochester, Julia! Loved living there and working at UofR in the '90's

[@HazelByGodTennessee]

What kind of white wine is best?

[@winstonelston5743]

Starch and veggie pairing? Maybe a light pilaf and sauteed green beans?

[@AF-wf6vo]

I would actually make this for my friends.

[@dorisandujar8277]

I'm not so far away, I live in Ravena, the Catskills, NY

[@Thanatos--]

Julia is such a hype girl and Becky just soaks it up. ☺

[@ryanlloyd4395]

Just curious why you mix the oils? Looks phenomenal nonetheless

[@lindaklong520]

Sometimes smoke point as well, melt veg oil for higher smoke point then add butter for taste, but it would burn otherwise

[@kevinnashskitchen3517]

Pumping out videos left and right.😂

[@Frankielaz]

Let’s hear it for the ROC ❗️♥️❗️

[@kevincorbin6273]

I think it’s amazing that Becky has hardly aged since she started working in the kitchen

[@winstonelston5743]

A gentleman never speculates on a lady's age, and a lady never tells.

[@DoughboyGod]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Confoundedjoe]

Reminds me of your chicken picatta which is delicious.

[@markLLorens]

Viva la francese.

[@lou-anneh5248]

Anyone know what meat pounder that was?

[@winstonelston5743]

I imagine a can of veggies with a smooth bottom would work.

[@Valtrach]

Here's an interesting question; are the rings on the lady's fingers clean enough to cook with? Why is it that some chefs wear plastic gloves and others cook with their jewelry on? Thank you.

[@Fred70115]

I would cut back on the salt. I also made the sauce first and it was ready to pour over the fried chicken as it came out of the pan. Go ahead and make extra sauce to put on rice or noodles. Also think about putting a few capers in the sauce. I would make it again.

[@stevewashere4122]

Becky Becky !

[@henrybutchy3242]

I'm not measuring the oil, not the wine, not the stock - (before or reduced), not the lemon juice, not the butter, not the flour. It'll be great. I will caramelize the lemon slices. Thoroughly.

[@lindaklong520]

I think you are saying they don’t give the amounts, but they do for most of these, I had to rewind several times. My problem was with the reduced stock, they measured it and it came out to 2/3 cup perfectly. My question is what do you do if it isn’t 2/3 cup, obviously if it is more just put back on heat but if it is less? do you just add it out of your regular non cooked stock?

[@richardtaylor2361]

I still miss the old grumpy guy . this is the only recipe I've seen without parsley in the eggs

[@nwilliams9845]

Can you do this with pork cutlets?

[@winstonelston5743]

Sounds good, but I imagine you would have to brine the cutlets after pounding and stay away from the leaner cuts.

[@LunaRendezvous]

Love you Becky, runnaway with me Xx.

[@kdkulhanek]

Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@aalekhine5109]

I didn't need to season the flour... :(

[@ericgomez6075]

I’m a bit confused, because this recipe is completely different then the one book.🤔🥴

[@gjg4878]

Vegetable oil ? Maybe butter or avocado oil ? Vegetable oil is very bad for your health. Other than that sounds great 👍

[@sharonmcmillin9978]

Original recipe calls for sherry not wine.

[@nalanl]

Why is she handling raw chicken with her wedding ring on!? 👀

[@joelk7923]

FFS seasoning cutlets by tossing them in a bowl.

[@jimhogan1308]

Needs pecorino Romano...

[@winstonelston5743]

Less is more. This is a French-inspired dish, not Italian.

[@johnmcdairmant3498]

This is Rochester's true specialty dish, not the garbage plate. The problem is, Rochester natives have no clue that it's a local dish, they think everyone knows about Chicken French, so they don't ever brag about it to the rest of the world!

[@marilyndarnall5141]

Don't know WHY people still cook with vegetable oil! That and canola oil are the worst cooking oils you can use! Use olive or avocado oil instead.

[@jonqpublic6801]

Why is the recipe completely different in the cookbook? Which one should I use, the video, or the recipe in the book written by a totally different person? Sketchy move...

[@guchieskitchen]

❤🎉❤❤🎉😂❤❤

[@redcomet0079]

Awesome dish, but where is Bridget? 😅

[@TheBerenger]

I appreciate the full seasoning, not a micro pinch of salt

[@weaverpsu]

You lost me when you wiped out the fond imstead of deglazing and using that flavor

[@MbisonBalrog]

Wait Rochester made this? They don’t eat this in Italy or is it called piccata ?

[@carlosmoore4511]

too many commercials!

[@davidapodaca6827]

Julia Leno

[@kenmore01]

Becky is stunning as always. So, where is Bridget? Is she dead?

[@Judex-bg3gz]

Sure with you would share recipes using electric stoves rather than gas. Half of us out there (and the number is growing) have gas stoves.

[@EdwardArmstrong-y3f]

Terrible video .!!! Misleading information. 😢

[@gcvrsa]

As a native of New York City who grew up in a heavily Italian neighborhood, I can tell you that Chicken Francese is certainly a classic of Made-in-USA Italian American cuisine, but I have never before heard anyone claim it was invented in Rochester, of all places, and I would be extremely surprised to find out that is really true. It doesn't take a lot of research to discover that the owner/chef of the Brown Derby, James Cianciola, himself says that he simply adapted Veal Francese, a common New York City dish, which he says was brought to Rochester by chefs Tony Mammano and Joe Cairo, when anti-veal protesters began to interrupt business at the Brown Derby in the 1970s. I personally do not consider a mere change of meat from veal to chicken to qualify as a new recipe.

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

Get over it

[@supersash84]

cmon this is way over worked

[@milfordcivic6755]

Not removing rings before handling food is bad practice for such seasoned professionals.

[@michealpersicko9531]

For the love of god season the flour with salt and pepper at the very least. Trust me you will notice the difference between unseasoned and seasoned flour

[@bandbporter]

You don’t think she tried it when she tested this recipe a million times?!

[@winstonelston5743]

I am reasonably certain they tried seasoning the flour before publishing the recipe . 1:48 "...and I didn't need to season the flour, the chicken is already beautifully seasoned..." Two teaspoons of salt on the chicken, plus pepper mixed in and allowed to rest for fifteen minutes before dredging in the flour and drenching in the egg mixture, effectively brining the meat. The chicken is not only seasoned on the surface, but also seasoned through. The sauce is lemon-based, lemon being an ingredient in many salt substitutes such as Mrs. Dash. The only difference you would taste if you salt and pepper the flour is too much salt and too much pepper. Aside from Becky wearing her ring while cooking, these people know what they are doing.

[@bananashaveice]

Sadly, it seems that they're requiring your email before accessing any recipes. No sense in following this channel any longer if we can't freely access the recipes like before. 😥

[@kiwisoup]

It's not just your email, it's a subscription for the recipes. They are here to sell their subscriptions, their books, their merchandise and they really hit you over the head with it. If you just want free recipes probably not the best channel to follow. However they do tell you the measurements, temperature and times in the videos. You would just have to follow the video or write them down.

[@Fred70115]

How about doing the sauce stuff ahead of the chicken, then you don't have the chicken waiting around, getting dry and old while you spend 30 minutes doing the sauce?

[@griffincontracting]

@davidknapp4025 - Fond.....is it even real?

[@jessicastevens5782]

@@griffincontracting they wiped it all out o the pan before starting the sauce

[@ohhowfuckingoriginal]

I read this comment in the middle of the video and I was really excited to find out that you were wrong... But you're right literally they give all the times 3 minutes 6 minutes 8 minutes over and over. The stupid sauce could easily take 40 minutes. And it has raw flour in it!

[@Fred70115]

@@sandrah7512 I did it my way, two pans. The sauce took longer than I would have wanted, but I kept it warm and poured it over the freshly done chicken. Either way works, but everything takes longer when you a not filming a video with lots of prep and everything measured out in advance. Also, the recipe has a pay wall and I had to watch the video several times to get measurements.

[@winstonelston5743]

The chicken should rest before serving to allow the juices to distribute evenly and residual cooking from the cooking heat.

[@kieseley]

PLEASE. Season. Your. Flour.

[@winstonelston5743]

The chicken is dry-brined before it is dredged and the sauce is lemon-based. Seasoning the flour in not necessary and the final dish would be too salty.

[@brb__bathroom]

you had me at lemon, and lost me at butter. but then again I don't know which end of a frying pan is up

[@ElPapacitoGrande]

you don't eat butter? lol get some animals in your belly

[@brb__bathroom]

@@ElPapacitoGrandelet me ruin the joke and mansplain and be a general sourpuss about it all: the rest didn't never gave a hint that it might have been a tad over the top? I'm sorry for going out of my way to be an idiot, but once in a while it's satisfactory to be substandard. phew. that was a load, we cool?

[@ElPapacitoGrande]

@@brb__bathroom lol cooler than polar bears toenails... Eat meat and butter 🥩🥛💪🤙

[@Catspaw-m4c]

Cook's need to take off the, jewelry!

[@sigbauer9782]

nice. a video released 15 years ago being relabeled as "new".

[@bondfool]

If this were from 15 years ago, it would have Christopher Kimball in it. Do you see him anywhere?

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

The last time i had this at a restaurant it tasted like a chicken breast sprayed with Pledge. Yuck.

[@griffincontracting]

Lol, thumbnail looks like moldy bread!

[@kiwisoup]

Not really?

[@griffincontracting]

@@kiwisoup ...yes, absolutely