Hey there! I’ve been cooking shrimp francese for years in my home kitchen, and I gotta tell you – this dish is absolutely amazing when done right. Today, I’m gonna break down everything you need to know about what goes into making this delicious Italian-American favorite.
Quick Answer
Shrimp francese is made with butterflied shrimp coated in flour and egg wash, then pan-fried and served in a light lemon-butter sauce made with white wine and chicken broth. The dish typically includes garlic, parsley, and seasonings, served over pasta or with crusty bread.
The Story Behind Shrimp Francese
Ya know it’s kinda funny – even though “francese” sounds French, this dish actually came from Italian-American restaurants around the 1940s. The story goes that Italian restaurants wanted to show they could make fancy food like the French so they created this egg-coated cooking style.
Main Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Shrimp:
- Large shrimp (about 10 per person)
- All-purpose flour for dredging
- Beaten eggs mixed with grated Pecorino Romano
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
For the Sauce:
- Dry white wine
- Chicken stock/broth
- Fresh lemon slices
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley
- Minced garlic
How It’s Made (Step-by-Step)
-
Prep the Shrimp
- Peel and devein completely
- Butterfly them (split down the back)
- Season with salt and pepper
-
Set Up Your Stations:
- Bowl 1: Flour for dredging
- Bowl 2: Beaten eggs mixed with cheese
- Have a clean plate ready for coated shrimp
-
Coating Process
- Dip shrimp in egg mixture
- Lightly coat in flour
- Shake off excess
-
Cooking:
basic- Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat- Cook shrimp 1-2 minutes per side until golden- Remove and keep warm -
Make the Sauce:
- Pour out excess oil- Add wine and reduce- Add hot chicken stock and lemon slices- Simmer and reduce- Finish with butter
Pro Tips from My Kitchen
- Use fresh shrimp whenever possible – trust me, it makes a difference!
- Don’t overcrowd your pan when cooking the shrimp
- Make sure your oil is hot enough before adding shrimp
- Wanna save time? Set up your breading station before starting
Perfect Wine Pairing
We love serving this with a crisp white wine. A Pecorino from Abruzzo works great – and nope, it’s not related to the cheese! If you can’t find that, any dry white wine like Pinot Grigio works awesome too.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcooking the shrimp (they get rubbery)
- Making the sauce too thick
- Not patting shrimp dry before coating
- Skipping the butterflying step
Serving Suggestions
Serve your shrimp francese hot with:
- Pasta (my personal fave)
- Crusty Italian bread
- Rice
- Roasted vegetables
Health Notes
While this isn’t exactly health food, you can make it lighter by:
- Using less butter
- Opting for olive oil
- Serving with veggies instead of pasta
- Using whole wheat flour for dredging
Final Thoughts
Shrimp francese might look fancy, but it’s actually pretty simple to make at home. The key is getting your technique right and using fresh ingredients. Once you’ve mastered this basic recipe, feel free to play around with it – maybe add some capers or try different herbs.
Remember, cooking should be fun, so don’t stress too much about making it perfect. Even if it’s not restaurant-pretty, it’ll still taste amazing!
Happy cooking!
Would you like me to explain or break down any part of this article further?
Grease Isn’t The Problem
Like proteins and carbohydrates, fats are nutrients. Our bodies need fats to function properly, and fats are considered the body’s clean energy. Hence, it is not unhealthy to once in a while indulge in a dish high in fats.
What we should be concerned about here is which type of fats, the amount, how often, and whether we pair this with other nutrient-dense options.
Shrimp Francese contains butter and oil, most of which are saturated fats, a.k.a the bad kind of fats. Avoiding them completely is a big step towards healthy eating, but to some people, such restraint can make their diet less enjoyable.
We think it’s a pretty big cost, so instead of avoiding delicious foods, we simply avoid having too much of them. And at Healthy Recipes 101 we have the necessary tools to make sure that each serving of our recipes contains no more than the amount we believe is moderate.
You’ll need shrimp, butter, white wine, lemon juice, chicken broth, eggs, flour, and several seasonings.
We also serve this dish with cooked spaghetti, so you should purchase and cook some yourself beforehand. You can use spaghetti or your favorite type of pasta.
Unlike how meats are traditionally breaded, our shrimp has only two layers of coating: all-purpose flour and beaten eggs. Due to the lack of breadcrumbs, it won’t turn out as crispy but considering how the sauce will soften the coating anyway, these two alone are enough.
The sauce is made with just white wine, butter, lemon juice, chicken broth, and seasonings, all simmered together in the pan. It is that simple.
Deep-Fried Foods Have Been Misunderstood
There’s this substance in deep-fried foods called acrylamide, produced when starch and proteins are cooked in hot oil for too long. Findings have found that this substance can raise the risk of cancer in animals.
While that sounds pretty scary, deep-fried foods are not the only foods that contain acrylamide, because it is also a byproduct of the Maillard reaction. It’s the kind of process that makes your food brown, smoky, and much more flavorful. Caramelized onions, toasted breads, BBQ meats with grill marks, etc. all have a little acrylamide in them.
Picking on deep-fried foods alone is, hence, kind of unfair.
Instead, we choose moderation. You can certainly have French fries, chips, or other foods you like once in a while, just don’t have too much. There’s no recommended limit on acrylamide yet, but since fried foods are high in calories, regulating your calorie intake may help limit your acrylamide intake.
shrimp francese by sal basile
FAQ
How is shrimp francese made?
What is francese sauce made of?
Chicken Francese sauce is typically a lemon and butter-based sauce, often with white wine and chicken broth. It’s a bright, slightly tangy sauce that complements the lightly fried chicken.
What is the difference between scampi and francese?
Francaise uses egg and flour, making more of a batter and giving it a crust, meanwhile, Scampi uses only flour and has less of a crust.Aug 16, 2022
What is shrimp francesca?
Shrimp Francese (or francaise) is a classic Italian-American dish that combines succulent, egg-battered shrimp that’s simmered in a buttery lemon and white wine sauce and topped with fresh parsley.