Chicken Française facts for kids
Chicken Française (pronounced Fran-says) is a yummy Italian-American dish. It's made with thin pieces of chicken that are coated in flour and egg, then quickly cooked in a pan. The chicken is served with a delicious sauce made from lemon, butter, and white wine.
This dish is super popular around Rochester, New York. In that area, people often call it Chicken French. Some even joke that it should be called Chicken Rochester because it's so well-known there!
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How Chicken Française Was Born
Chicken Française has an interesting story about how it became so popular. It shows how food can change and adapt over time.
From Veal to Chicken
When Italian immigrants came to Rochester, they brought their favorite recipes with them. One of these was "Veal Francese," which used veal (meat from a young cow). However, veal was often more expensive than chicken. So, people started using chicken instead of veal to make the dish more affordable and accessible. This made "Chicken Française" a common meal.
Chefs and New Ideas
Another part of the story says that Veal Francese was already popular in Rochester in the 1950s. But in the 1970s, some people decided not to eat veal. Because of this, local chefs, like James Cianciola, started using chicken instead. Chef Cianciola said that other chefs, Tony Mammano and Joe Cairo, helped bring this style of cooking from New York City. This shows how chefs can be creative and change recipes to fit new tastes or situations.
The Mystery of Its Origin
Even though Chicken Française is a famous dish in Italian-American cooking, it's not a very old or "classical" recipe. You won't find old cookbooks with its exact origin written down. It seems to have developed over time as people adapted and shared recipes, especially in places like Rochester.
Other Dishes Like It
Sometimes, chefs get creative and make different versions of popular dishes.
Artichokes French
A common twist on this dish is called "Artichokes French." Instead of chicken, it uses artichoke hearts cooked in the same lemon-butter and white wine sauce. Artichokes French is often served as a tasty appetizer before the main meal.
