Chicken Meunière

Did I mention that I was feeling the need to transport myself to France? My mom and brother were just there on a special trip. Those of us left behind were trying to feel better by eating some French food. 🙂

I actually made this dish as an afterthought… I knew that I wanted to make Pear Clafoutis for dessert and wanted a suitable main dish! Like Clafoutis, (post to follow…), this is an elegant weeknight dish. They were a perfect match.

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Mark Bittman. We ate it with roasted asparagus, lemon slices, and brown Basmati rice. Lovely.

Yield: Serves 4

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (about 12)
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 to 1 cup (approximately) all-purpose flour, panko, or cornmeal for dredging
• 4 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. (I used cast iron.) While it is heating, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, and place the flour, panic, or cornmeal in a 8×8-inch baking pan or pie dish.
2. Place the oil and 2 T butter in the skillet, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot and the butter has melted, dredge the cutlets in the coating, turning them a few times and pressing them down so they are well covered. After you dredge each, add it to the pan.
3. Cook until the chicken is nicely brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn. Cook 2 to 4 minutes until the chicken is firm to the touch (lower the heat if the coating begins to scorch).
4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 T butter over medium heat until it is nut-brown; set aside.
5. When the chicken is done, drain it briefly on a paper towel, then transfer to a warm platter.
6. Drizzle with lemon juice, and top with half the parsley. At the last-minute, pour the browned butter over the chicken, add the remaining parsley and serve.

One Year Ago:

• Greek Red Lentil Soup

Two Years Ago:

• Roasted Salmon with Herbed Yogurt

Three Years Ago:

• Sri Lankan Coconut Chicken Curry with Cashews
• Mustard Vinaigrette

If you like this you may also like:

• Poisson Meunière or Fish with Lemon & Browned Butter Sauce

Poisson Meuniere or Fish with Lemon & Browned Butter Sauce

I think the browned butter drew me to this recipe- it really made this dish delicious. Meuniere translates as “miller’s wife” and refers to cooking something after dredging it in flour. In this dish, the fish fillets are dredged in flour, sautéed, and then topped with a lemon, browned butter, parsley and caper sauce. It was a lovely meal that was quick to prepare. This recipe was adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple but Classic French Recipes by Rachel Khoo. Lemon sole, Pacific halibut or trout can be substituted for the Dover sole.

• 1 pound of Dover sole fillets, skin removed
• 6 T all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 T grapeseed oil, divided
• 4 T unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2-3 T chopped parsley
• 1 T capers, drained and rinsed

1. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper and spread out over a large plate. Pat the fish fillets in the flour, evenly coat, and shake off excess.
2. Heat 1 1/2 T oil in a large frying pan over medium-high to high heat. When the oil is smoking, place the half of the fish in the pan and lower the heat slightly. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden. Place the fish on a warmed plate covered with aluminum foil and repeat with the remaining fish fillets.
3. Wipe the pan clean with paper towels and return to medium heat. Add butter and cook until light brown and fragrant.
4. Remove pan from heat and add lemon juice. (It will splatter!) Add parsley and capers and combine.
5. Dress the fish with the sauce and serve. Alternatively, return the fish to the pan and spoon over the sauce and serve.