Chicken Francese

This is a quick and easy way to do chicken, unless you are starting with chicken breasts and have to pound them into cutlets.  Even then it's not too bad, but cutlet-making is definitely a prep-ahead chore for me.  I evidently didn't take any pictures of this one in prep-ahead process (oops), but I'll update with cookery pics when I make this dish.

If you've never done it, you take a chicken breast and cut it in half lengthwise.  Put one half in a quart-size ziptop bag and press all the air out.  Tip #1: Use the flat side of a meat mallet to pound...if you use the spiky part of the mallet or you'll puncture the plastic bag and it will be beyond messy.  Tip #2: Pound the chicken from the side the skin used to be on, not the "meaty" side.  Pound until the cutlet is about 1/4" thick.  Set aside to fridge or freeze, and repeat until all your chicken is nice and thin.

If you're making a freezer kit, you can get one of the small cans of sliced olives, label and store it in the pantry as part of the kit, or you can freeze a large handful of chopped olives with the rest of the ingredients.

Chicken Francese
Makes 6 servings

3 chicken breasts, halved and cutlet-ed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced black olives
2 tbsp capers
chopped fresh parsley, if available

Freeze chicken cutlets in a vacuseal bag.  Freeze lemon juice in a small ziptop bag, and olives and capers in another.  Put all parts in a large ziptop bag and label.

To cook, thaw thoroughly.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry cutlets 3-4 minutes per side until browned.  Remove to a plate.  I have to do this in two pans or in two batches in the same pan.  Split the butter/olive oil accordingly. 

Once chicken is cooked, deglaze pan with lemon juice, scraping up any brown bits.  Add olives and capers and cook 1 minute to heat through.  Pour pan juice over cutlets and sprinkle with parsley to serve. Pin It