I was reading the October 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Living and came across a recipe for Shrimp Francese. It’s a simple preparation of very lightly breaded and pan-fried shrimp served with lemon-butter sauce. I was interested in the recipe because this is how I’d always seen chicken or sole served. The best way to describe it is to say it’s like piccata without the capers.
One of the things I love about Martha Stewart Living is the wide range of food they present. Sure there’s the requisite “healthy snacks for kids” (yawn), but they also have more challenging recipes. The recipes that look like they came from a certain time or place are what I love the most, though. This Shrimp Francese recipe is exactly that. It’s an old-school, east coast Italian restaurant favorite with a vaguely French sounding name. The food geek in me just eats that kind of deliciousness right off the very page.
Food Geek Fact #2: However it’s neither French nor Italian. It’s American. New York American particularly. In fact it’s hardly even known outside the five boroughs of its origin. There are similar methods of cooking foods this way in Italy. An aged mozzarella dish comes to mind. But they’d be more likely to call this preparation indorati e fritti (hand-dipped and fried).
I only have an old cookbook by Lyn Stallworth and Rod Kennedy, Jr. that this geek could quickly find those facts. called The Brooklyn Cookbook. Their chicken version caught my attention years ago. Partly for its simplicity and partly because I loved the Brooklyn backstory the authors attached to the recipe.
It’s a dish that had everything going for it. It seemed destined to become an Italian-American classic. From what I can tell, Chicken Francese was almost as popular as veal and chicken parmigiana in Brooklyn restaurants in the 1950s. But something must have happened. Because today piccata dishes are well-loved, but Francese– not so much.
Food Geek Fact #3: There’s a nice recipe from Lidia Bastianich for Chicken Francese in Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen. When I saw that I figured this dish was about to catch on. I even wondered if they’d start serving it at Mozza. But nope I asked a bunch of west coast food geeks about Francese and drew unanimous blanks.
So you can see why I did a double take when I saw this recipe in the magazine. I liked the idea of modernizing a nearly forgotten classic. Shrimp makes this dish a little modern and maybe even a little special. It also cooks up quickly and easily. I promise that you can make this dish as good as Martha (or at least as good as me), no matter how good a cook you are.
This Shrimp Francese recipe really stopped me in my tracks because I’ve been hoping that this dish would become popular again. If there’s anybody who can get something onto the radar of food geeks everywhere it’s Martha Stewart. I often credit her for teaching me how to cook. In the 1990s I used to watch her 9am TV show everyday. At the time, I knew I should be working on my photography career, but I always found a way to put off the cold calls until after the Martha Stewart Living show.
Please make Shrimp Francese for me and start over with this recipe for a whole new generation. Let’s get together and beat the piccata pants off the competition. GREG.
Slice each shrimp along the back to open (butterfly) slightly. Whisk together eggs and cheese in a shallow dish; place flour in another shallow dish. Dredge shrimp lightly in flour, then coat completely in egg mixture.
Whisk together broth, wine, and lemon juice; set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil, then butter. In two single-layer batches, cook the shrimp until golden, about 1 ½ minutes on each side. When done, move each batch to a plate. If more oil is needed, add it between batches. Pour broth mixture into skillet and cook, swirling skillet, until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon slices and parsley, and pour over shrimp. Serve immediately.
Shrimp Francese is a classic Italian-American dish that has been popular on Italian restaurant menus for decades. It features battered shrimp simmered in a bright, lemony, garlicky, butter-enriched sauce. This flavorful dish is easy to make at home yet tastes restaurant-quality.
A Brief History of Shrimp Francese
Shrimp Francese has its roots in Italy but became especially popular among Italian-American immigrants in New York City and Long Island in the mid-20th century. It was likely inspired by the classic Italian dish Chicken Francese which features sliced chicken cutlets dipped in egg and flour then sauteed in a similar lemony wine sauce.
The name “Francese” refers to cooking food in the style of France, meaning a light egg batter is used. But Shrimp Francese has an undeniably Italian flair with its use of aromatics like garlic, parsley and lemon.
This dish was a regular on the menus of old-school Italian restaurants and steakhouses It remains a staple today in Italian-American cuisine,
How to Make Shrimp Francese
Making restaurant-quality Shrimp Francese at home is easy. The key steps include:
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Pound or butterfly the shrimp – Flattening or butterflying the shrimp helps them cook evenly. It also allows more surface area for the batter and sauce to cling.
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Batter the shrimp – Dragging the shrimp in flour, then egg creates a delicate crispy coating.
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Pan fry the shrimp – The shrimp are pan fried until just cooked through and lightly browned.
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Make the lemony sauce – While the shrimp cook, the sauce is made from white wine, chicken or seafood stock, lemon juice, butter and aromatics. A touch of cornstarch thickens and binds the sauce.
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Simmer the shrimp in the sauce – The fried shrimp are added back to the pan and simmered in the sauce briefly to heat through and absorb flavor.
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Finish with parsley – Fresh chopped parsley adds brightness. Serve shrimp Francese over pasta, rice or with bread.
Shrimp Francese Ingredients
Shrimp Francese requires just a few inexpensive ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
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Shrimp – Large shrimp, ideally 16/20 count per pound or larger, are best. Smaller shrimp may overcook.
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Eggs and flour – For battering the shrimp. All-purpose flour works great.
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White wine – A dry wine like Sauvignon Blanc adds an aromatic backbone. Chicken broth can be subbed.
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Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice provides quintessential tart, bright flavor.
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Chicken or seafood broth – Adds richer flavor and body to the sauce.
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Garlic and parsley – Punch up flavor and aroma. Dried parsley works too.
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Butter – Butter enriches the sauce and gives it a silky texture. For vegetarian, olive oil can be substituted.
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Cornstarch – Thickens and binds the lemony sauce so it clings nicely to the shrimp.
Tips for Making Perfect Shrimp Francese
With just a few simple tips, you can make restaurant-worthy Shrimp Francese at home:
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Dry shrimp well – Absorb moisture from shrimp with paper towels before battering. Wet shrimp won’t coat properly.
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Use a nonstick skillet – The delicate batter can stick, so nonstick prevents this.
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Don’t crowd skillet – Avoid overcrowding so shrimp sear properly. Work in batches.
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Make the sauce while shrimp fry – Get sauce components simmering while shrimp are frying.
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Simmer shrimp in sauce briefly – Just a minute or two to heat shrimp through and coat in sauce.
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Adjust seasoning – Taste the finished sauce and add salt, pepper or more lemon to taste.
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Use larger shrimp – Larger shrimp (16/20 per pound) hold up better than small shrimp when fried.
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Serve with rice or linguine – Rice or pasta soaks up the delicious lemony butter sauce.
Shrimp Francese Variations
Once you master the classic recipe, try these easy variations:
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Use scallops instead of shrimp
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Add white wine or capers to sauce
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Fry in olive oil instead of butter for vegetarian/vegan
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Use all broth instead of white wine for non-alcoholic
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Stir in chopped cherry tomatoes or basil
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Top with fried or grilled lemon slices
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Serve over hot cooked spinach instead of pasta
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Fry butterflied shrimp cutlet-style instead of whole
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Substitute chicken broth for seafood broth
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Use cod, tilapia or chicken instead of shrimp
Serving Suggestions for Shrimp Francese
Shrimp Francese tastes delicious when served:
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Over spaghetti or linguine – pasta soaks up the lemony butter sauce
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With garlic bread – great for dunking in the sauce
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With steamed broccoli – balances the richness
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Over rice pilaf – rice soaks up flavors
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With roasted asparagus – bright flavor pairs nicely
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With a green salad – something light and fresh
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With a crisp white wine – a bright, acidic wine cuts the richness
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With Parmesan sprinkled on top – adds salty, savory flavor
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With lemon wedges – for spritzing on even more lemon flavor
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Family-style from the pan – keep warm on stovetop and serve from pan
Storing and Reheating Leftover Shrimp Francese
Leftover Shrimp Francese keeps well for 2-3 days refrigerated. The flavors meld and improve. To reheat, place in a saucepan over medium-low and stir gently until heated through. Add a splash of milk or cream to thin and soften sauce. Or reheat individual servings in the microwave. Leftovers reheat beautifully and make a quick, flavorful meal.
Why Make Shrimp Francese at Home?
Here are some of the best reasons to start making this restaurant classic at home:
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It’s impressive – Looks and tastes like you spent all day cooking
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It’s budget-friendly – Much less expensive than ordering out
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You control ingredients – Can adjust to your tastes and diet
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Kid-friendly version of “fancy” food – Kids love the crispy fried shrimp
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Simpler than it looks – Easy weeknight 30-minute meal
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Makes great leftovers – Even better next day
So if you love ordering Shrimp Francese when dining out at Italian restaurants, be sure to try this easy homemade version. With minimal effort you can enjoy restaurant-quality shrimp Francese any night of the week. Buon appetito!
