Villaroy chicken breasts

How to make chicken a la Villaroy . This ” Chicken a la Villaroy ” is a different way of preparing this white meat, which can take us out of the monotony and give it a little “joy” compared to the more classic chicken recipes  that you will find on the blog.

The name of the dish derives from the Villeroy (or villaroi) sauce  used to coat chicken meat, very similar to the well-known béchamel sauce . It differs from this in that grated cheese and egg white are added, giving it a thicker texture.

The name of the sauce is due to the Marquis de Villeroy (France, 1644-1730), a French military man who suffered severe defeats on the battlefield, but always well protected by the “Sun King” Louis XIV who held him in high esteem. This sauce continued in force during the 18th and 19th centuries, although in the 20th century, with the ” nouvelle cuisine “, it evolved until it was considered an enriched bechamel. This Villaroy chicken recipe uses the classic bechamel sauce among its ingredients, although you can add the grated cheese to give it one more point of creaminess and get closer to the original recipe.

For the dish, the leanest part of the chicken or another bird is used, that is, the breast, which we will mix with the bechamel to finish coating it. It is a simple recipe, very juicy and that is especially successful among the smallest of the house, who usually “adore” everything that bechamel has, such as croquettes .

You can add the grated cheese to give a more creamy point to the sauce. I hope you cheer up with these chicken breast fillets with a different touch at home. I have chosen to accompany them with a salad with lamb’s lettuce, arugula, walnuts and a classic vinaigrette, with sherry vinegar. A complete and delicious dish.

Preparation of chicken breasts a la Villaroy

The basis of the recipe is chicken breasts. So it is important to buy good quality ones that guarantee juiciness and good flavor. We will ask the butcher to divide them into 3-4 fillets each, without being too thin.

1. The first thing we are going to do is pass the breasts on the griddle or frying pan. It is necessary to cook them “on the spot” because then with the batter they would not be done enough.
2. If we want a better visual result of the final dish, we cut the fillets a little with a knife, to give them uniformity and that they all look similar in size.
3. Season the fillets to taste and in a frying pan (or griddle) with a little olive oil, we pass them round and round for a couple of minutes.
4. We want them to be cooked “to the point”, made on the outside and juicy on the inside. We withdraw and reserve for later.
5. Once the breasts are done, we go on to prepare a  bechamel sauce , which I have already made many times on the blog.
6. It is important that we do not have lumps, so if you opt for the easy, it is advisable to make it with warm milk.

Preparation of the bechamel sauce to fill the chicken

1. We heat the milk in a saucepan, but without boiling or overheating. We just want to give it a temperature to help prevent lumps.
2. For this purpose we will also sift the flour with a strainer. In another large saucepan, add the butter and over low heat, let it melt until it is completely liquid.
3. Now add, little by little, the sifted flour, at the same time that we are mixing.
4. We will obtain a golden colored mass that we call “roux”. This step is important since the flour must be well cooked.
5. We pour half of the warm milk and stir without stopping with some rods, in the same direction, so that it thickens and forms the sauce.
6. We add a little salt. When mixing, we check that lumps do not form and if so, we crush them. We pour the remaining milk and continue with the process in the same way.
7. We should have a homogeneous béchamel sauce, without lumps and slightly thick. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Breaded. Frying and final presentation of the chicken a la Villaroy

1. In a source or plate we put a baking paper. We take the breast fillets, we napamos (we cover on both sides) with the bechamel sauce and place them on the paper.
2. We reserve for 1 hour in the fridge to cool and take on the sauce.
3. For the batter we will need the typical ingredients: the flour, the breadcrumbs and the 2 beaten eggs.
4. If it is for tastes, you can do it only with egg and breadcrumbs, although I prefer to do it with flour as well.
5. We can fry them in a deep fryer or in a wide pan with plenty of oil. The important thing is that the oil is very hot and that the fillets are made on both sides.
6. Carefully remove the baking paper from the chicken fillets with béchamel sauce. First we pass them by flour, then by the beaten egg and finally we cover them well with breadcrumbs.
7. We check that the entire surface is well covered, so that it is a complete and homogeneous coating.
8. We fry with the very hot oil on both sides until we see that they have a golden and crisp tone. Inside, the meat will be juicy and the bechamel sauce will have become creamy.
9. We remove and reserve on absorbent paper to release excess oil.

To accompany the Villaroy chicken I have opted for a fresh and delicious salad. In the supermarket you will find some bags with lamb’s lettuce and arugula, a magnificent combination. We add some peeled walnuts on top, and a classic vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt.

I can assure you that you will have a very juicy meat. A delicious recipe thanks to the special touch given by the béchamel sauce and the crispness of the subsequent batter. The whole family will love it, especially the children. You will not regret it!