Chicken Paillard (Tyler Florence)

I love to cook, but after a long day at work (9 hours on my feet!), the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen. And this summer, it's actually been too hot to do much grilling. So instead of sweating over a hot grill, I turn to my quick and simple recipes, such as Tyler Florence's Chicken Paillard. He writes: 

I make this for dinner all the time. It's simple, easy to put together, and on the lighter side—perfect for a night when you want something delicious that's not too heavy. Pound the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap to keep your cutting board clean, and try to use organic, free-range chicken whenever you can.

I couldn't agree more! I discovered this favorite in the Tyler Florence Family Meal cookbook, which as previously noted, is a fantastic cookbook. There are wonderful blurbs and photos for each and every recipe, as well as anecdotes about Tyler's career as a chef in Mill Valley. I've made this particular recipe a few times and wasn't very impressed with the Creamy Parmesan Dressing, so instead, I've modified it to enjoy with a simple Caprese Salad. I usually wind up with an extra chicken breast, which is excellent diced up and served on top of a tossed green salad the following day for lunch.


Chicken Paillard with Salad Greens and Creamy Parmesan Dressing

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 8 ounces each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying (I use olive oil)

Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet or rolling pin to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. (I use a large zip-lock bag rather than the plastic wrap.) 

Prepare a breading station, placing the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, in one shallow bowl; the eggs in another; and the panko (also seasoned liberally with salt and pepper—you should be able to see the seasonings) in a third. 

Coat the chicken first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the panko, shaking off the excess after each step. 

Place the breaded breasts on a plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes or so to dry the crust; this will ensure there is less moisture in the coating and less chance it will crumble when you cook the chicken.

In a large skillet, heat 2 inches of olive oil (interesting that he says olive oil here, but not in the list of ingredients) to 350 degrees (F). 

Add the chicken breasts and fry for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until golden brown.

Transfer the breasts to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place each warm, crispy chicken paillard on a plate and top with half the salad. Serve with a wedge of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Serves 2

Note:

As I mentioned above, I chose not to use the Creamy Parmesan Dressing (which you can find here, if you wish). I served a simple Caprese salad on the side, which is quite similar to Florence's salad of mixed greens, grape tomatoes and bocconcini (fresh mozzarella balls).

I don't use a recipe for my Caprese salad. However, Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman) has one that looks pretty much like what I make, although for this meal, I place the tomatoes and cheese on top of a bed of greens. Go here for PW's recipe.

Delicious! 

Paillard is an older French culinary term referring to a quick-cooking, thinly sliced or pounded piece of meat. In France, it has been largely replaced by the word escalope. (Wikipedia)

Beef Bourguignon (Tyler Florence)

Extra-virgin olive oil
4 bacon slices
4 lbs. beef chuck or round, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cognac
1 bottle dry red wine, such as Burgundy
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 T. tomato paste
Bouquet garni (1 fresh rosemary sprig, 8 fresh thyme sprigs, and 2 bay leaves, tied together with kitchen twine or wrapped in cheesecloth)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups pearl onions, fresh or frozen, blanched and peeled
1 pound white mushrooms, stems trimmed
Pinch of sugar
2 T. unsalted butter
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Serve with buttered egg noodles

Serves 8 to 10

Place a large, heavy pot over medium heat and drizzle in a 1-count of olive oil. Fry the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes, then remove it to paper towels to drain, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. When cool, crumble the bacon and set aside.

Working in batches, add the beef to the pot and brown well on all sides over high heat, about 10 minutes per batch. Season each batch with a generous amount of salt and pepper and transfer to a plate while you brown the remaining beef cubes.

Return all the beef cubes to the pot and sprinkle with the flour, stirring to make sure the pieces are well coated. Pour in the Cognac and stir to scrape up the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook over high heat until the Cognac has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Pour in the red wine and beef broth; then add the tomato paste and bouquet garni. Stir everything together and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the liquid has thicken a bit, about 15 minutes, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the garlic, pearl onions (blanched & peeled), and mushrooms to the pot along with the sugar (to balance out the acid from the red wine). Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer 30 to 45 minutes longer, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Discard the bouquet garni, then stir in the butter to give the sauce a rich flavor and beautiful shine. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and the reserved bacon before serving.

My Notes:

I didn't have any Cognac, so I added an extra 1/4 cup of beef broth.

I used a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

I didn't bother tying the bouquet garni with twine--just dropped the herbs in the pot. (Julia Child agrees with me on this one!)

I substituted a regular onion (rough chop) for the pearl onions.

The first time I made this dish, I served it with buttered noodles. Not bad, but I didn't love it. The second time I decided to skip the noodles and add potatoes to the pot. However, I didn't want them to overcook and fall apart, so I par-boiled them separately (peeled and cut-up) and added them to the pot a few minutes before serving.

Now here's my biggest adjustment to Tyler's recipe: The meat needs to cook much longer than the 2-2 1/2 hours he's suggested. I recommend at least 3-4 hours. And, if possible, cook it a day in advance. The flavors are amazing on the second day!

I have another recipe for Beef Bourguignon here. They're almost identical!