Dine on a Budget; Jersey Shore Style

Okay, I finally let the cat out of the bag- I am from the Jersey Shore (I promise it's nothing like the show)! I am not 100% Italian like most of America thinks Jersey Natives are. Although, one thing is true- WE LOVE OUR PIZZA! When I was a kid we would get pizza every Friday night..Now-a-days I can't even afford a frozen pizza ($10.00 are you kidding me) without coupons! Well..there will be no pizza for us tonight- I've decided to cook a delicious, affordable Italian meal meal! Whenever I think of the word delicious I think of tons of spices and herbs but unfortunately I did not plant an herb garden this year and the cost for herbs at my local supermarket are WAY to high! It is hard to find yummy Italian recipes that don't use a lot of spices or expensive cheeses. I found this recipe (below) for Chicken Franchise online and thought I would give it a shot! I am going to post a final picture and let you guys know how hard it is to make after I give it a shot.

Total Time:

Prep Time:
Cook Time:

45 mins

15 mins
30 mins

It's a great dish, and it's surprisingly healthy as it doesn't really use all that much oil. ...

Ingredients:

Servings:

4

Units: US | Metric

Dredging

• flour, for dusting
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Chicken Franchise

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 eggs
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil (Coupon for olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons butter (coupons from LandO'Lakes)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine (See Notes)-- (You can Skip this- My grandma made it without and it was still good)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• flat-leaf Italian parsley

Directions:

1. Mix a decent amount of salt and pepper with the flour to make a dredging mixture. You don't need any more than a cup of flour; you're just giving them a light dusting.
2. Using a meat pounder, pound the chicken breasts flat so that they are about the size of your hand.
3. Dredge the chicken breasts through the flour. When you pull them out, give them a few good slaps so that the extra flour falls off. You want a very light coating, this isn't supposed to be like batter.
4. Crack the two eggs into a flat bowl, pierce the yolks with a fork, and scramble them slightly. Combine with about a quarter cup of water to make a light egg wash. It should be pale yellow in color.
5. Run the chicken through the egg wash. Keep in mind this is a wash, not a bath. You don't want it soaking in egg, just enough to keep it wet and absorb the flour coating.
6. Heat the quarter cup of olive oil in a large fry pan on medium-high heat, and when it is smoking hot, place the chicken into the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. You will know when it is ready to flip when the chicken has a nice, slightly browned color and a crisp texture. Remove the chicken from the pan.
7. Cut your lemon in half. Using one half, make several paper thin slices of lemon. Save the other half.
8. Turn the stove up to high heat, and drop the lemon slices into the stove. Wait for them to caramelize and take on a slightly gummy texture.
9. Pour in the 1/2 cup of white wine. I recommend Yellowtail Pinto Grigio because it's not too expensive, you can drink it with the meal, and the sweetness of it counteracts the sour of the lemon. Let the sauce reduce for 30 seconds to one minute.
10. Sprinkle in salt to taste, and then add in the cup of chicken broth. Allow it to reduce again.
11. Take your butter, and dredge it in the flour. Break it up into chunks and drop it into the sauce, swirling it around and allowing the sauce to thicken.
12. Once the sauce has thickened sufficiently, put the chicken breasts back into the pan. Coat them thoroughly with the sauce, and let them cook for about another minute or two to warm them back up.
13. Transfer to a serving platter, putting a few slices of lemon on top of each chicken breast, and then drizzle the sauce over the whole concoction.
14. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley, or whatever greenery you think would go good with the meal.