One sure way for a recipe to get my attention is for it to have “French Onion” in its name. I have been a fan of most anything French Onion since my senior year of high school when Eric first made me French Onion Soup from scratch. Eric had bought a #10 bag of Vidalia onions from a trucker passing through the service station where he worked. A good portion of those sweet onions were turned into my first foray into French onion goodness. I have actively sought out other recipes incorporating caramelized onions ever since.
This chicken dish has all the classic elements of that French soup. The pan-fried chicken, topped with sweet simmered onions and melty Gruyère cheese, is accompanied by a rich beef broth and sherry pan sauce. Cooking the onions with a small amount of broth speeds up the caramelizing process. The bouillon paste’s concentrated beef flavor adds depth to the dish and extra body to the sauce. Be sure to serve the dish with something (bread or mashed potatoes are both excellent choices) to soak up all that delectable sauce. Oh là là, as they say in France!
French Onion Chicken
French Onion Chicken (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 55 minutes, Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 pounds yellow onions (about 3 medium), thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves divided, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1-3/4 cups beef broth, divided
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon paste
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
- crusty bread, for serving
Directions:
Heat the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until melted. Stir in the sliced onions, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the broth and bring the liquid to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 18 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and continue to cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned around the edges, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate, then rinse and wipe the skillet clean.
Caramelize the onions.
Pound the chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the chicken into 4 pieces.
Pound the chicken then cut into 4 pieces.
Season the chicken cutlets with onion powder, salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken cutlets, one at a time in flour, shaking off the excess. Place the coated cutlets on a plate.
Season then flour the chicken.
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Working in 2 batches, add the chicken cutlets to the pan and cook, turning once halfway through, until they are golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes total per batch. Transfer the cutlets to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining 2 cutlets.
Cook the chicken . . .
. . . turning them halfway through.
Preheat the oven to broil with the rack 5 inches from the heat source. Add the sherry to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
Add the sherry to the skillet, scaping up the browned bits.
Stir in the remaining 1-1/4 cups broth and the bouillon paste until combined. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the remaining broth and the bouillon.
Place the chicken cutlets back in the oven-proof skillet with the sauce. Top each cutlet with 1/2 cup of the caramelized onions, 1/4 cup of the gruyere and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan.
Top the cutlets with the onions . . .
. . . then with the two cheeses.
Broil the cutlets in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Broil until the cheese is melted and golden.
Transfer the chicken to a serving plate. Garnish the cutlets with black pepper and fresh thyme leaves.
Transfer to s serving plate and garnish with additional pepper and thyme leaves.
Serve with crusty bread. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Serve immediately.
So rich and warming and perfect for these very wintery evenings we are experiencing! ~Linda
French Onion Chicken (adapted from foodandwine.com) Total Time Required: 55 minutes, Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 pounds yellow onions (about 3 medium), thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves divided, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1-3/4 cups beef broth, divided
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon paste
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)
- crusty bread, for serving
Directions:
Heat the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until melted. Stir in the sliced onions, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the broth and bring the liquid to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 18 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and continue to cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned around the edges, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate, then rinse and wipe the skillet clean.
Pound the chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the chicken into 4 pieces. Season the chicken cutlets with onion powder, salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken cutlets, one at a time in flour, shaking off the excess. Place the coated cutlets on a plate.
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Working in 2 batches, add the chicken cutlets to the pan and cook, turning once halfway through, until they are golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes total per batch. Transfer the cutlets to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining 2 cutlets.
Preheat the oven to broil with the rack 5 inches from the heat source. Add the sherry to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1-1/4 cups broth and the bouillon paste until combined. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
Place the chicken cutlets back in the oven-proof skillet with the sauce. Top each cutlet with 1/2 cup of the caramelized onions, 1/4 cup of the gruyere and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan. Broil the cutlets in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish the cutlets with black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Serve with crusty bread. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.