No pounding, no wrestling with a chicken breast. Ground chicken makes this paillard easy to shape, with parsley, oregano and a little Dijon mixed right in. Add pistachio and sun-dried tomato pesto, a pile of lemony arugula and Parmesan, and dinner is looking lovely.
Makes 2 paillards.
Ingredients
For the chicken paillard
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the pesto
- 1 handful fresh basil
- 5 to 6 sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup pistachios
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- Salt and black pepper
For the arugula salad
- 2 handfuls arugula
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Splash of olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Parmesan shavings, for serving
Method
- Mix the ground chicken, parsley, oregano, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl until combined.
- Divide into two equal portions. Put each portion between two sheets of parchment and press or roll into a thin, round paillard.
- Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the top sheet of parchment from a paillard, carefully flip the chicken into the skillet and peel away the remaining paper.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden, slightly crisp and cooked through. Check that the center reaches 165°F.
- Blend the basil, sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios, Parmesan, olive oil, water, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Add a splash of water if you prefer a looser pesto.
- Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Put each paillard on a plate, spoon over the pesto and finish with the dressed arugula and Parmesan shavings.
Recipe and original food image by Chef Stuart O’Keeffe. See the original Instagram recipe and cooking video.