My Grandma Doris was a real piece of work. As they said in the old days, “That lady had class!” Doris was allergic to kitchens, so she used to take my brother Jeff and me out to fine restaurants whenever we visited. She loved one French restaurant in particular, where she would always order chicken paillard with potato puree. It seemed so exotic, so chic, that Jeff and I always ordered the same dish and loved it. It wasn’t until I was in cooking school years later that I learned it was just a fancy name for pounded chicken with mashed potato. You gotta love the French! But it’s still my favorite chicken dish, and it’s great for people who are having trouble eating. That’s because pounding the chicken flat makes it quick to cook and very easy to chew.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the chicken in several layers of parchment paper and pound each with a meat pounder until nice and thin, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Step 2
Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon zest, and thyme and whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
Step 3
Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat each breast dry with paper towels. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until firm to the touch or the juices run clear. Serve garnished with the parsley and the Parsley Basil Drizzle.
variation
Step 4
There are many ways to infuse flavor into chicken. Using this recipe as a template, try marinating the pounded chicken in Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (page 181) and topping it with the pomegranate variation on Mango and Avocado Salsa (page 185). Or marinate in Zesty Lemon Fennel Vinaigrette (page 182) and top with Basil Lemon Drizzle (page 177) or Moroccan Pesto (page 186).
rebecca’s notes
Step 5
Like snowflakes, no two pieces of chicken are alike. Some will be thicker and require a little extra pounding. Don’t get carried away with your mallet though, as the thinner parts of the chicken will tear if they’re pounded too much.
Step 6
Here’s a time-saving tip: Ask the butcher to pound the chicken for you. They’re usually happy to provide this service.
storage
Step 7
Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for 2 days.
nutrition information
Step 8
(per serving)
Step 9
Calories: 170
Step 10
Total Fat: 5g (0.9g saturated, 2.9g monounsaturated)
Step 11
Carbohydrates: 2g
Step 12
Protein: 28g
Step 13
Fiber: 0g
Step 14
Sodium: 225mg
