Yahoo Lifestyle The Italian Way to Make Chicken Breasts 10x Better, According to my Chef-Husband
Let me start by saying, I'm a lover of leftovers. I'm also completely fine with eating the same thing on rotation. I could eat the same breakfast or lunch four days in a row and never get bored. Avo toast with a fried egg? Every day, please. Turkey wrap with veggies? Will never turn it down.
My chef-husband, Luke, on the other hand, hates monotony. I mean, he's a chef...he needs variety! Although he swears he loves leftovers, he really doesn't. He will occasionally eat them, but only if he remixes them into an entirely new dish.
So, when it comes to chicken, the protein with the biggest flex in our household, he tends to want to get creative. Chicken Milanese, Cajun grilled chicken, the perfect roast chicken...I could go on and on. In fact, I thought I'd had the privilege of tasting just about every chicken option out there until Florentine butter chicken entered the chat.
One of my favorite Indian chicken dishes is butter chicken, but Florentine style? I didn't know her—until Luke sent me this Instagram video and texted "Dinner?" I was immediately intrigued.
Here's what happened when he recreated the famous Florentine butter chicken recipe from Trattoria Sostanza in Italy, with his own twist, of course.
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What is Florentine Butter Chicken?
Although I've never actually been to Trattoria Sostanza in Florence, I know all about the famous Italian restaurant from my husband, who has requested I take him there for years. "Danny Meyer goes there; all the great chefs do" as he's told me when referring to the Florentine spot that's more than 150 years old.
And once he got to work in the kitchen making their signature butter chicken, I realized the legacy of this place—and this dish. "It's a very simple dish but as with many simple dishes, the technique is of the utmost importance," he said, taking chicken breasts and a ginormous amount of butter out of the fridge.
"I love the way the chicken looks crispy and the butter becomes the sauce so it's a one-pan dish," he said. Gotta love that! Plus, they've been making their version over the same wood-fired stove for a century and a half. Talk about simplicity.
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Ingredients Needed for Florentine Butter Chicken
Clearly, butter is the star ingredient (more on which kind Luke likes in a second). As for the other ingredients, he grabbed some olive oil, an egg, all-purpose flour, lemons and chicken breasts, of course.
If you're making this recipe for two people, two breasts are fine, but feel free to double or triple the recipe. Even Luke agrees that the leftovers are so insanely delicious that you'll want to dig back in the next day.
Now for the butter. Luke tells me European butter with a higher fat content, such as Plugrà or President, produces a richer brown butter sauce. "The milk solids are what make the butter brown," he said, noting that you can also use a cultured butter, like Vermont Creamery if you want a good domestic option.
Lastly, for his twist, he reaches for a bundle of sage for a fried herb finisher. "Any hard herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage or oregano will work," he said.
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How to Make Florentine Butter Chicken with Fried Sage
Luke starts by lightly breading the chicken breasts. He sets up two shallow bowls: one with a beaten egg and one with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, working one breast at a time, he dips them in the egg (letting the excess egg drip off), then lightly coats the chicken in the flour.
Next, he adds olive oil and honestly, what looked like two full sticks of butter to a stainless pan over medium-high heat. This is NOT a low-caloric dish by any means so lean into the more is more butter philosophy and thank us later. "It's not called butter chicken for nothing," he laughs, adding more. Once the butter has started to brown, in goes the chicken.
This is where it gets a little technical. He doesn't leave the pan's side. He stays next to the chicken, constantly swirling and bathing it in—you guessed it—the brown butter.
Once the chicken breasts are cooked through and golden brown, he pops the sage leaves in at the last second to fry, then he removes the pan from the heat and adds some fresh-squeezed lemon juice for a citrusy finish before plating up this Florentine masterpiece.
My Honest Thoughts on Florentine Butter Chicken
I thought my love ran deep for chicken cutlets and chicken piccata, but this Florentine chicken is on another level. I also love that although it's crispy to the core, it's not heavily breaded so it doesn't feel as heavy.
Each bite is velvety, nutty and supremely juicy. And the crispy fried sage on top is perfection. Even though I devoured everything on my plate, I could have easily hopped a flight to Florence for a second serving at the OG, Trattoria Sostanza.
Luckily I have Luke's version to tide us over until we make it there.
Tips for the Best Florentine Butter Chicken
Keep the chicken moving. Luke's advice: Shake the chicken so the butter browns but doesn't burn. "This way you get the chicken crispier without burning the butter."
Add the herbs at the end. Let them fry and infuse in the brown butter, then spoon the fried sage and the brown butter sauce over the chicken when you plate the dish.
Open a nice Chianti Classico for the ultimate wine pairing. Fontodi Chianti Classico is Luke's favorite Tuscan producer, which he says is on the higher end for a table wine. Look for it at your local wine shop for a little splurge.
Don't let one bit go to waste. "Leftovers make the best chicken for chicken Caesar you'll ever have in your life," he tells me. I'm excited to test that theory for lunch tomorrow.
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