Food Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Florentine Butter Chicken 4.3 (20) 18 Reviews This chicken is cooked in nutty brown butter until it's juicy and tender, then gets a zesty splash of fresh lemon juice to brighten it up. By Hunter Lewis Hunter Lewis Hunter Lewis is the editor-in-chief of Food & Wine. Prior to his time at Food & Wine, Hunter worked for Cooking Light, Southern Living. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 1, 2024 Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 2 Jump to recipe This recipe is inspired by editor in chief Hunter Lewis' trip to 150-year-old Trattoria Sostanza in Florence, Italy, where butter chicken has become a popular staple of this Florentine restaurant. Traditionally, it's made by gently pan-frying lightly-floured, skin-on chicken breasts in warm, melted butter before topping it with a splash of fresh lemon juice. This Sostanza-inspired recipe deviates slightly from the classic rendition, featuring cultured butter (and skinless chicken breasts) instead. The cultured butter has a slight tang from the fermentation process that develops a richer, nuttier undertone as it browns in the pan, making this simple chicken dish hard to beat. How to Brown Butter Frequently Asked Questions Why is butter chicken Sostanza a famous chicken dish in Florence, Italy? A staple on the menu at Trattoria Sostanza, a small restaurant in the heart of Florence, butter chicken is widely regarded as one of this region's most famous chicken dishes. Sizzling butter browned until golden poaches the chicken until juicy and tender, while a squeeze of lemon juice adds a hint of acidity to balance the rich sauce. What is the difference between cultured butter and regular butter? Cultured butter generally has a higher butterfat content than regular butter. It’s also slightly tangy and has a more complex flavor than regular butter due to the live bacterial cultures introduced during the fermentation process. Cultured butter also has a higher smoke point than regular butter, thanks to its lower moisture content. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen The high butterfat content of cultured butter gives it a slightly higher smoke point than regular butter. When combined with olive oil — which has an even higher smoke point than the two types of butter — the mixture has enough cooking time to finish the chicken and the sauce simultaneously without burning. However, if the butter is darkening too quickly, continuously swirl the pan to reduce the heat or remove the pan from the stovetop and continue basting the chicken with a large, heat-proof spoon and the hot butter. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 large egg, beaten 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 (7-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lightly pounded to 3/4-inch-thickness 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) cold salted cultured butter, cut into pieces, divided 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons) Directions Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Spread flour in a separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working with 1 breast at a time, dip chicken in egg, letting any excess drip back into bowl, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Melt 1/4 cup butter with oil in a 10-inch stainless steel skillet over medium-high, and cook, swirling occasionally, until milk solids begin to sink to the bottom of the skillet and start to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chicken, rounded sides down, and cook, swirling skillet occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn chicken over, and add remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Tilt skillet toward you so butter pools, and cook, basting chicken often, until chicken is just cooked through and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully pour in lemon juice (butter will start to bubble). Serve immediately. Greg DuPree Originally appeared: September 2019 Rate It Print