Chicken Paillard Salad

“Paillard” is a French culinary term that refers to a piece of boneless meat pounded thin before cooking. This method tenderises the meat and allows it to cook quickly. This dish is often prepared by dredging the meat in flour prior to sautéing. This gluten-free version skips that step, however.

Time-Saving Tip: Prepare a double or triple batch of the lemon vinaigrette and store the leftover portion in the refrigerator to use throughout the week on salads or as a marinade for other dishes.

Note: You can use any variety of cherry or grape tomatoes for the salad if the multi-coloured mini–heirloom tomatoes shown here are unavailable.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5-7 minutes
Serves: 4

Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients:

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
½ t. Italian seasoning
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
Sea salt, to taste

Remaining Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t. garlic powder
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large organic lemon, sliced and cut in half, divided
6 c. fresh arugula
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
¼ c. shaved Parmesan cheese

Prepare the vinaigrette by combining all ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Place the chicken on a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper spread out on a clean work surface. Cut the breasts in half horizontally (with the blade parallel to the counter) and arrange both halves on the plastic wrap or wax paper in a single layer.

Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to ¼” thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove the top cover and season on both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and most of the lemon slices, reserving 3 or 4 slices for garnish.

Cook until the chicken is golden brown on the bottom and releases easily from the skillet, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook on the remaining side another 2-3 minutes, or just until the chicken is cooked through.

Note: Squeeze the lemon slices with tongs while the chicken cooks to release the juice.

Remove from heat and discard the lemon rinds. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and place the reserved lemons in the skillet for approximately 30 seconds per side to warm up. Place the warm lemons on the platter with the chicken and set aside.

Add the arugula, tomatoes, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese to a large bowl and drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on top. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.

To serve, divide the salad between 4 serving bowls and top each with some of the chicken and warm lemon slices. Offer remaining dressing on the side while serving. Enjoy!

Click on images shown below to see details.

 

Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes & Feta
Classic Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze
Asian Cabbage Salad with Warm Spicy Peanut Dressing

Hearty Beef Taco Salad   Dill Cucumber Salad
Chicken Avocado Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

Chicken Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
Peach Blackberry Salad with Blackberry–Basil Vinaigrette
Wilted Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Deconstructed Waldorf Salad    Raspberry Chicken Mixed Green Salad
Strawberry Fennel Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

Grilled Corn & Cherry Tomato Salad
Roasted Broccoli and Raisin Salad with a Yogurt Dressing
Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing

Chicken Salad with Strawberries, Feta, & Pecans
Oven “Grilled” Romaine and Chicken Salad
Orange-Pomegranate Salad with Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

Seared Sesame Tuna Salad with Mixed Greens
Strawberry Feta Salad with Balsamic Glaze
Watermelon Feta Salad with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Pan-Seared Swordfish with Rainbow Ribbon Salad
Chicken Paillard Salad