Chicken Francese is a delicious Italian dish made with sautéed chicken cutlets cooked in a lemon, butter, and white wine sauce. It’s a classic recipe that’s been around for decades, but many people still wonder – how exactly do you pronounce “chicken francese” correctly?
I’ve been cooking Chicken Francese for years in my home kitchen and I often get questions from friends and family about the proper way to pronounce this dish. As a proud Italian-American home cook who loves sharing my recipes I want to help clear up any pronunciation questions people may have when it comes to this tasty chicken dish!
In this article, I’ll walk you through step-by-step how to correctly pronounce “chicken francese” so you’ll sound like a professional chef next time you’re discussing this recipe.
Breaking Down the Pronunciation
Chicken Francese is an Italian-American dish, so pronouncing it using proper Italian phonetics is key. Here’s how to tackle each part of this dish’s name
Chicken
The “chicken” part is easy for English speakers. Just pronounce it as you normally would in English:
“CHIK-en”
Francese
Here’s where it gets trickier. “Francese” is an Italian word, meaning “French style.”
In Italian, “francese” is pronounced:
“fran-CHEH-zeh”
The “fr” sounds like you’re starting to say “fresh”
The “a” sounds like the “a” in “father”
Emphasize the “CHE” and say it sharply
End with a “zeh” sound instead of a hard “Z”
Putting it Together
Now that you know how to pronounce both parts, put them together:
“CHIK-en fran-CHEH-zeh”
Say the first part quickly, then emphasize the “CHE” in “fran-CHEH-zeh” and draw out the end.
Why Knowing the Proper Pronunciation Matters
You might be wondering why properly pronouncing “chicken francese” really matters. After all, your dinner guests will know what you mean if you say it incorrectly, right?
While that may be true, properly pronouncing dishes from other cultures is an important sign of respect for that cuisine. It shows you’ve taken the time to learn about the dish’s origins and culture.
Italians are very proud of their culinary traditions. When you pronounce an Italian dish correctly, it demonstrates your appreciation for authentic Italian food. It’s a small but meaningful gesture.
Proper pronunciation can also be about precision. In a restaurant kitchen, the chef needs to clearly communicate menu items to the staff. Saying “chicken francese” correctly ensures everyone knows exactly which dish is being prepared and avoids confusion.
So whether you’re cooking Chicken Francese at home or ordering it at a restaurant, take the time to pronounce it properly. It shows respect, avoids confusion, and honors the origins of this tasty Italian recipe!
Step-by-Step Pronunciation Guide
To review, here are the steps to pronounce “chicken francese” correctly:
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Say “CHIK-en” (pronounce “chicken” normally)
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Say “fran” (like “fresh”)
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Sharply emphasize the “CHEH”
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End with a “zeh” sound instead of a hard “Z”
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Put it together: “CHIK-en fran-CHEH-zeh”
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Say the first part quickly, draw out the emphasized “CHEH” and “zeh” at the end
With this breakdown, you’ll be pronouncing “chicken francese” like a native Italian speaker in no time!
Listening to Native Speakers
Hearing native Italian speakers say “chicken francese” can also help you master the pronunciation.
Here are some videos of Italians saying this dish’s name:
Listen closely to the way they sharply emphasize the “CHEH” and extend the “zeh” at the end. Try imitating their pronunciation. With practice, you’ll get it!
Don’t Be Intimidated!
Don’t be intimidated by foreign food words! With some guidance on pronunciation and listening to native speakers, you can confidently say delicious dishes from many diverse cuisines.
Now that you know the proper way to say chicken francese, you can impress your friends with your Italian pronunciation skills. Just don’t be surprised if they start asking you for Italian cooking lessons!
Making the lemon sauce
When finished sautéing the chicken, wipe out the skillet with some paper towels. You don’t want to clean the pan completely, but you do want to remove any flour that has browned in the bottom.
Set burner to medium heat and pour in the chicken broth. Add some salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. Add the juice of two lemons. Bring to a boil and then quickly whisk in about 1 teaspoon of flour. Add in the 3 tablespoons of butter and whisk again.
Turn the heat down to simmer and allow to reduce to almost half.
Once the sauce is done, add the chopped fresh parsley and stir.
Set the chicken breasts out on a rimmed platter or baking dish, and pour the sauce all over the top of each breast.
Take your last lemon and slice it thin, with the skin on. Place pieces of sliced lemon across the whole dish and serve.
Serves 4 – 6
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
- 1 14.5 oz. Can Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup flour (or more if needed for breading)
- 1/4 olive oil
- 3 lemons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 chopped fresh parsley
Trim chicken breasts of any fat. Take each breast and flatten it out with a mallet. If the breasts are very thick, you might want to cut them before pounding them out thin.
Set the chicken to the side and then prepare your work station for dipping and flouring. Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and beat together well. You can add a teaspoon of cold water to the eggs to help thin them out a bit.
In a separate shallow bowl add your flour and season with your salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, then the egg, and then the flour again, pressing to make sure you get a nice even coat. Set each breast on a plate until you finish dipping and breading each one.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a non-stick skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and set the heat to medium. Once hot, add two or three chicken breasts at a time and cook until just barely done on each side and a very light golden brown. We are not looking for a deep brown color to these.
Remove the cooked chicken to a pan and continue browning each chicken breast in the skillet, continuing to add oil, 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed. Once you are done, place the pan with the chicken in the oven, uncovered, and allow to bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
Preparing the breasts for chicken francese
It is optional, but I like to remove visible skin and fat from the chicken breasts.
Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick.
If the breasts are very large or thick, you might want to cut them before pounding them out thin.
The pieces are ready for the next step.
Prepare your work station for dipping and flouring. Crack 3 large eggs into a shallow bowl and beat together well adding a splash of cold water to the eggs to help thin them out a bit.
In a separate shallow bowl add 1 cup flour and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Dip each chicken breast first in the flour…
then into the egg…
and then back into the flour again, pressing to make sure you get a nice even coat. Set each breast on a plate until you finish dipping and breading each one.
In a non-stick skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and set the heat to medium.
Once hot, add chicken breasts cook on each side until just barely done. Cook in batches so you do not crowd the pan.
You want the chicken to be a very light golden brown. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
Remove the cooked chicken to a pan and continue browning each chicken breast in the skillet, continuing to add oil, 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed.
Once you are done, place the pan with the chicken in the oven, uncovered, and allow to bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
How to Pronounce Chicken Francese (Correctly!)
FAQ
Is it chicken francese or francaise?
The French spelling Chicken Francaise pronunciation is “frahn-SAIZE;” the Italian spelling, Chicken Francese, is pronounced, “fran-CHAY-zay.” If this is your kind of meal, try more of my Italian-inspired chicken dishes: Chicken milanese, chicken scarpariello, chicken vesuvio’s, and New Jersey’s famous, chicken murphy.
How do you pronounce “francaise”?