Full disclosure – this recipe was inspired by a restaurant in Loudonville, NY – D’Raymond’s. It was there that I had their Chicken Frangelico several years ago. It was unlike anything I’d had before. If you’re not familiar, Frangelico is a Hazelnut liquor. It’s sweet and unctuous – but I’d never think to pair it with chicken. But both my husband and I found ourselves always ordering it whenever we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner out at D’Raymond’s. Finally, I decided to try and recreate it at home. I think I came pretty close!
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut lengthwise and pounded thinly into six cutlets
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup yellow corn meal
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, lightly scrambled
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Frangelico cordial
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup light cream
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Take three boneless chicken breasts, trim them of fat and slice them lengthwise creating six cutlets. Using a meat mallet pound each to equal thickness. Salt and pepper to taste.
In a heavy bottom sauté pan with high sides, heat vegetable oil over high heat, until it reaches 350F degrees using a candy thermometer. While oil is heating, scramble eggs and 2 tablespoons Frangelico in a bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, corn meal, flour and parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Set both bowls alongside sauté pan and when oil is 350F degrees, dip chicken into to dry mixture, then egg mixture, then dry mixture again – carefully dropping into oil. Fry until golden – about 2 minutes each side. Place on a baking rack to drain. Be sure not to crowd the pan, frying only two cutlets at a time. When complete, place all six cutlets into a baking dish and in the pre-heated 350F degree oven.
In another sauté pan, over medium high heat, melt butter. Add shallot and garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of Frangelico. Reduce. Lower heat to medium-low and add cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauce will slowly thicken. Taste – it should be slightly sweet and savory. Remove chicken from oven and spoon about 4 tablespoons sauce over – ensuring each piece has some on top. Return to oven and cook for an additional 7 minutes. Remove after 7 minutes and spoon remaining sauce over all pieces. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve.
A great day for me is preparing great meals for friends and family. I enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and also updating classics that I've enjoyed for years. I love to travel and try lots of new cuisines - and wouldn't be anything without the love of my family!
2 thoughts on “Monk’s Chicken”
This was delicious! I would have never thought of using Frangelico in a food recipe! Terrific idea that resulted in a rich, unique flavor that complemented the chicken perfectly. Had to substitute the light cream with half & half. Also didn’t have corn meal so replaced with some corn starch and panko breadcrumbs plus the other dry components in the recipe. Also, chose to fry the chicken for about 4-5 min per side. Added spinach and a salad as a side.
This was delicious! I would have never thought of using Frangelico in a food recipe! Terrific idea that resulted in a rich, unique flavor that complemented the chicken perfectly. Had to substitute the light cream with half & half. Also didn’t have corn meal so replaced with some corn starch and panko breadcrumbs plus the other dry components in the recipe. Also, chose to fry the chicken for about 4-5 min per side. Added spinach and a salad as a side.
Love what you did and thanks for the comments and suggestions! Keep the comments coming!