The Fat Fight: Which Is Healthier, Chicken Or Duck Fat?
A debate has been brewing in the culinary world for a long time now and it’s finally boiled over.
I'm an experienced food writer and passionate cook. My website, Cookindocs.com, features accessible, informative, and engaging content with quality recipes and articles that are thoroughly researched and enjoyable to read. You can trust my expertise with 8 years of experience in the field. Learn more about me and my work on this website, and check out my featured articles on TastingTable, Mashed, and 5-Minute Crafts. Read more about me HERE.
The argument is about which chicken dish is better: Chicken Francese or Chicken Piccata?
These two dishes are similar in that they both have an Italian sauce made of lemon, white wine, butter, capers and garlic but one uses more cream than the other.
What are the other differences? Let’s discover them in this article.
What Is Special about Chicken Francese?
[amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]
[amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”button”]
Chicken Francese is a classic Italian dish that many chefs and home cooks love to prepare.
In the Italian language, “Francese” means French, and in the culinary world, it refers to a dish that is prepared with thinly sliced chicken breast sautéed in butter and white wine.
The name of the dish originates from Italy and it was created as an Italian-American fusion meal, with chicken being substituted for veal cutlets.
It requires some other simple ingredients that you might have on hand like eggs, butter, wine, lemon juice, and fresh parsley.
It’s typically served over pasta or rice but can be served on its own without any accompaniment.
The key ingredient in this dish is olive oil and butter which are used to cook the chicken.
The white wine creates a delicate flavor while adding texture to the sauce.
The lemon juice adds an acidic element that balances out the richness of both the butter and wine sauces.
The thinness of the meat allows for quick cooking times, so you can have your meal on the table within minutes of beginning prep work.
The dish has a light and delicate flavor that invites many variations on the preparation.
Variations may include adding capers or white wine to the sauce and substituting other vegetables for onions.
What Is Special about Chicken Piccata?
[amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]
[amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”button”]
When you think of a traditional Italian dish, Chicken Piccata may not be the first thing to come to mind.
However, this is one of the most popular dishes in Italy and has been since it was created by Chef Priscilla Tognola in 1956.
The name “Piccata” comes from two words: piccante which means spicy or hot and pica which means cut into small pieces.
It is not known what gave rise to the name “piccata” but some argue it may have come about because the acidity in the sauce can be considered as a type of spice.
It is a dish of sautéed chicken cutlets that are usually breaded and pan-fried, served with a sauce made from butter, lemon juice, capers, and white wine.
The original recipe called for veal but chicken is used more often today because it’s cheaper and easier to find.
What Are the Differences between Chicken Francese and Chicken Piccata?
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between chicken piccata and chicken parmesan? There are some key differences
1. They have different origins
Chicken Francese is a dish that originated in Italy and consists of sautéed chicken with butter, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, and parsley.
Chicken Piccata is a dish that originated in France and consists of sautéed chicken with butter or olive oil, capers, lemon juice or white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. They require different cooking method
You can make either dishes on your stovetop or oven; however, if you want to make them both on your stovetop then you’ll need to use different pans for each recipe because they require different cooking methods (one needs high heat and the other low).
3. The difference also comes from the presentation
The two dishes, Piccata and Francese both have their own unique presentation, but they are served over pasta or rice as a side dish to round out the meal’s protein content.
Their ingredients contribute to the unique feature – one doesn’t contain any additional greens making it lighter than its counterpart but still flavorful from adding some aromatic herb such as parsley, while the other uses fresh parsley along with chopped onions, lemon zest, and chicken broth just so you don’t feel left out when not eating meat!
4. Not only the display but also the taste is different
This is a classic example of what’s called “paired preparations.” The sauce for chicken Francese will be served on top, while the sauce in Chicken Piccata will come from frying.
Chicken Picatta traditionally has capers in it whereas for most people, what makes Francese so delicious is its cream sauce base which contains lemon juice as well to enhance flavor and make it more tart.
If you want something lighter but still flavorful then you might enjoy chicken Picatta better than chicken Francese because there are more vegetables in the dish.
As such, both dishes have their own unique flavor and texture profile to offer diners—though they’re not too different when it comes down to how you eat them!
Are the Similarities between Chicken Francese and Chicken Piccata?
The two dishes are similar in that they both include a breaded, pan-fried piece of meat.
Also, both dishes are typically served over pasta or rice to soak up all of that delicious sauce!
Another similarity is both use some form of acid to cook the meat (lemon for piccata; wine for francese).
If you’re looking for something lighter or healthier then both are great options to try out!
Which One is Better?
| Product Comparison | [amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”title”] | [amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”title”] |
| Product Image | [amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”thumb”] | [amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”thumb”] |
| Rating | [amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”star_rating”] (based on [amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”reviews”]) [amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”prime”] | [amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”star_rating”] (based on [amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”reviews”]) [amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”prime”] |
| Latest Price | [amazon fields=”B00OHY3LD8″ value=”button”] | [amazon fields=”B06X9H2J5M” value=”button”] |
The best way to choose between these two dishes is by asking yourself what you’re looking for.
If you want a dish that’s going to be on the lighter side, then chicken Piccata will definitely do it.
But if you want something with more sauce and flavors, like lemon or wine, then chicken francese might be your better option.
No matter which one you choose to make tonight, we hope this blog post helped illuminate some differences between these two dishes!
