Italian and French food come together in a great way in Chicken Francaise, which is a great dish that honors the American “Melting Pot.” As a bonus, it’s easy enough to make on a busy weeknight, so you can make a fancy and tasty meal with few ingredients and little time.
The recipe is a great example of how to combine two very different European tastes in a way that will make your dinner table a magical place where people from different cultures can talk to each other. This dish does all the talking!
This dish was created sometime around the mid-1900s after world-fairgoers were wowed by the simple, light dishes of traditional French cuisine. The French spelling Chicken Francaise pronunciation is “frahn-SAIZE;” the Italian spelling, Chicken Francese, is pronounced, “fran-CHAY-zay.”
Chicken Française is a classic French dish that is beloved around the world. But like many French words and dishes, it can be tricky for English speakers to pronounce correctly. In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly how to pronounce chicken Française so you can order and discuss this delicious dish with confidence.
Breaking Down the Pronunciation
Chicken Française is pronounced:
shee-ken frahn-SEZ
It’s important to get each syllable just right
- SHEE-ken
- frahn
- SEZ
Let’s look at each of those sections more closely
SHEE-ken
The first syllable is “SHEE,” which rhymes with words like “see” and “fee.” Be sure to pronounce both the “sh” and “ee” sounds clearly and distinctly.
They often mix these two sounds together to make a “ch” sound, like in “chee-ken.” ” Make sure to avoid this!.
The second syllable is simple: “-ken” rhymes with ten, pen, men, etc.
frahn
Next comes “frahn. ” The most important thing here is pronouncing the “R. “A lot of English speakers want to get rid of the R sound or say it very little. But in French, you have to roll that R and stress it a lot.
Practice saying “frahn” until you can roll and hold that “r” sound confidently.
SEZ
Finally, we have the two syllable word “SEZ.” This rhymes with words like says, lays, and days. Be sure to clearly pronounce both the “S” and the “Z” sounds distinctly.
Putting It All Together
When you combine the syllables, it should sound like:
SHEE-ken frahn-SEZ
The emphasis is on the “frahn” and “SEZ” syllables. As you practice, listen to audio of native French speakers pronouncing chicken Française and try to match their rhythm and cadence.
Really hold and roll that “R!”
Helpful Tips and Reminders
Here are a few more pointers to help you master the pronunciation:
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Avoid turning the ending into “AYZ” instead of “SEZ. “The sound of Z should be clear, not stretched out into a long AY diphthong.
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Don’t forget to make the “SH” in “SHEE” nice and sharp. No “ch” substitution!
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Roll and hold that “R” in “frahn. ” This is the defining sound of the whole phrase.
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Stress and elongate the second syllables: “frAHN-sez.”
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Imagine you’re speaking with a smooth French accent to help link the syllables fluidly.
With a bit of practice, you’ll be pronouncing chicken Française flawlessly in no time. Impress your friends with your expertise on this French culinary classic!
Recipe Notes For Chicken Francaise
- When it comes to chicken, have you ever pounded your chicken breasts until they were perfectly tender and thin, only to find that they were now too big to fit more than one or two in a pan? Trust me, buying chicken cutlets at the store will save you time and stress. You may see this thin-cut chicken at the market called “chicken scallopine.” It saves time and makes the dish so much easier to make.
- Wine: I make this with a dry chardonnay. A dry white wine goes well with the lemon flavor in the sauce; I don’t like it as much when a sweeter one is used. Keep in mind that the wine you use will have a big effect on the taste of the sauce, so only use something that you would drink yourself.
- Lemon Juice: Any recipe for Chicken Francaise will talk about how bright, tangy, and acidic the lemon juice is. It’s the star of this dish. To keep that taste, you must use fresh lemon juice from a fresh lemon in this recipe. NO WAY, MAN! DO NOT even think about using that fake yellow fruit juice!
- Just once, I will tell you to clean the pan first or cook the sauce in a different pan for the pan sauce. Usually, I like to add the fond, which are the little brown bits that form at the bottom of the pan when the chicken is browned. But this sauce is white, and taking out the fond will keep the color of the sauce the right way. We’re trying to make a dish that looks like it came from a restaurant, so the sauce will be as good as any Italian-American restaurant’s. You can make the sauce either way, but if you don’t clean the pan, the sauce will taste better but be a little less authentic.
- Low Fat: Let me be perfectly honest. Forget about counting calories and fat grams in this dish. If you cut back on those ingredients, especially good butter, the recipe won’t work because they are necessary for the right way to make, taste, and texture Chicken Francaise.
The Original Chicken Francaise
It’s possible that the dish was first made with veal, but the process would have been the same: thin pieces of veal or chicken, dredged in flour and egg wash, would have been sautéed and served with a simple lemon sauce. (Note: Lemon sauce may make you think of Chicken Piccata. However, this dish is different because the chicken has an egg wash on it, which makes the crust a little thicker, and the sauce doesn’t have any capers in it. ).
Whether it’s actually a little more French or a little more Italian, it’s a whole lot of awesome!
- Chicken Breasts
- Oil
- Flour
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Eggs
- Butter
- White Wine
- Chicken Broth
- Lemon Juice
- Parsley
How to Pronounce Chicken Francaise
FAQ
How do you pronounce Chicken Francaise?
The correct pronunciation of Chicken Francaise is “frahn-SAIZE”. The Italian spelling, Chicken Francese, is pronounced “fran-CHAY-zay”. If you enjoy this dish, try more of my Italian-inspired chicken dishes: Chicken milanese, chicken scarpariello, chicken vesuvio’s, and New Jersey’s famous, chicken murphy.
What is Chicken Francaise?
Chicken Francaise is flour-dredged, egg mixture-dipped pan-fried chicken cutlets. It is then simmered in a lemon-butter and white wine sauce. The name “Francaise” (pronounced “frahn-says”) may suggest that it’s a French dish, but it’s actually Italian American.
Is Chicken Francese difficult to make?
Chicken Francese is hard to beat. The recipe calls for chicken cutlets dipped in a light batter mixed with Parmesan cheese and cooked in a lemony cream sauce that tastes like chicken.
How do you pronounce “francaise”?
The word “française” is pronounced “frahn-sez” in French. The “a” in “fran” is pronounced like the “a” in “father”, and the “ais” is pronounced like the “a” in “say” or “ay” in “day”.
How do you pronounce francese chicken?
The pronunciation of “Chicken Francese” is fran-CHAY-zee. While the dish is sometimes spelled “Francaise” (which is French for “French”), the more common pronunciation in the context of this dish, especially in an Italian-American context, is the Italian-influenced fran-CHAY-zee, according to Baking Mischief. Some people might also pronounce it with a more French flair, closer to frahn-SAIZE, says a blog post from Baking Mischief.
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.