Chicken Francese

This is one of my all-time favorite meals! It was served at our wedding on October 7, 2000. This is Rachael Ray's variation of the dish, and it's a snap to prepare. I halved the recipe because it was just for the two of us. Slice up some crusty bread to sop up all the wonderful sauce, or sometimes I serve it over a platter of rice for guests. If you do serve it to guests, balance out the meal with something lighter for dessert...this is rich stuff!

Chicken Francese

(taken from Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

5 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2lb very thin chicken cutlets

Salt and freshly ground pepper

all-purpose flour, for dredging

4 eggs, beaten until frothy

2 pinches ground nutmeg

1 lemon

1/2 c dry white wine

2 tbsp capers, coarsely chopped (optional in our house!)

3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Place a platter in a low oven to warm. Heat a very large notstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and 2 tbsp of the butter to the skillet.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat half the meat at a time in flour, then in the eggs, adding each piece directly to the hot fat in the pan. Saute the cutlets for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden and puffy. Transfer the cooked meat to the warm platter and repeat with the remaining cutlets, using the remaining tablespoon of oil and 2 more tablespoons of the butter.

Once all of the meat has been cooked, add the nutmeg, the juice of half the lemon and the white wine to the pan. Scrape up the pan drippings with a whisk. Slice the remaining half lemon into thin disks and add to the sauce. Stir in the capers and parsley and the remaining tablespoon of butter into the sauce. Turn off the heat. Shake the pan to combine the sauce. Arrange the lemon slices over the platter, then spoon the sauce evenly over the cutlets. Serve immediately with crusty bread and greens.