Chicken Paillard With Chive And Mustard Sauce Diane Food

CHICKEN PAILLARD WITH LEMON-CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare chicken breasts: Lay the chicken between two large sheets of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet or heavy sauté pan, pound each breast to a ½-inch thickness. Salt each breast liberally, sprinkling from a height to ensure even distribution, then season with pepper. Flip each breast and season the other side. If using mustard and tarragon, spread about 2 teaspoons of mustard and 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon leaves on one side of each breast.Spread flour onto a dinner plate. Dredge breasts by coating them completely with flour, then shake off any excess. (They should be lightly dusted.) Set aside. Repeat with remaining breasts.
• Pan-fry chicken: Place skillet over high heat. While it's heating, trim, halve, and peel the shallot. When the skillet begins to smoke, add oil. When the oil begins smoking, gently place the chicken breasts in the pan in an even layer, so that they do not overlap. (You may need to work in batches if your skillet is smaller.) Allow them to cook undisturbed until they are nicely browned on the first side, about 3 minutes. Do not move the chicken around while it cooks, or the crust will stick to the pan. Meanwhile, mince the shallot.After the first side is browned, flip the breasts and finish cooking, 2-3 minutes. (Depending on the strength of your range, you may need to turn the heat down so the flour doesn't burn.) When they are just cooked through and have only a little give when pressed with a finger, 6-8 minutes total, transfer them to a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Lower the heat to medium. Add the minced shallot and stir with a wooden spatula. Add the lemon wheels and a pinch of salt; stir, but do not flip the lemons (they'll caramelize better if left to cook on one side). Scrape up any bits of flour and fat at the bottom of the pan. Once the shallots are caramelized and the lemons have begun to brown, about 2-3 minutes, add the wine and stir. When about half the wine has cooked off, turn the heat to high. Add the butter to the pan one tablespoon at a time, shaking and moving the pan continuously until all the butter has melted and emulsified into the sauce. Add the capers, stir, and remove pan from heat. Transfer chicken to a platter, then spoon the sauce over each breast. Arrange lemon wheels on top and serve immediately.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CHIVE AND MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Heat the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan until it begins to melt and foam. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the breasts to the pan and brown them on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn them over and cook them until well browned on the other side, about 6 more minutes. The chicken is done when it is firm to the touch and the juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• 2. Add the shallots to the same pan and sauté until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat, move the pan away from the flame, lean away from it, and carefully pour in the brandy, taking care not to let it flame. (If it does flame, cover with a pot lid until the brandy cooks out.) Continuing to be mindful of potential flare-ups, return the pan to the stove and let the brandy evaporate over low heat.
• 3. Add the wine to the pan, raise the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the mustard and let reduce for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• 4. Stir in the cream and bring just to a boil. Stir in the chives. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer gently until the stock has reduced and thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
• 5. To serve, put 1 chicken breast in the center of each of 4 plates and spoon some sauce over the top.
• Your Nightly Specials Instead of chicken, use small beefsteaks or pork loin chops. Cooking time will vary based on thickness and desired doneness, but will be about 2 minutes more per side than the chicken.
• For a spicier sauce, add 1 teaspoon hot, dry, English mustard to the sauce along with the Dijon.

HERB-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• One by one, place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, or inside of a resealable plastic bag, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan until about 1/2-inch thick. In a glass baking dish, combine the zest and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the shallot, garlic, and a little more than 2 tablespoons of each of the chopped fresh herbs. (Reserve the remaining chopped herbs.) Add the pounded chicken breasts to the herb mixture and turn to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to marinate, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cook the breasts 2 at a time if the pan is too small. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the white wine to the pan, scraping to loosen any brown bits, and reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half, then off the heat add the reserved herbs and cold butter, swirling to melt the butter and thicken the sauce. Pour over the chicken paillards and serve immediately.

GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARD

Steps:

• Make the marinade: In a small bowl, combine garlic, zest, juice, chili powder, and red-pepper flakes.
• Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag, and add the marinade. Seal the bag, and toss to coat the chicken. Transfer bag to refrigerator, and chill 10 to 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
• Heat grill; when very hot, remove chicken from bag, and carefully place on hot grill. Cook about 5 minutes; discard bag and excess marinade. Turn chicken over, and continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

MUSTARD AND CHIVE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the flour.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard.
• Return the pan to the heat and gradually incorporate the milk, beating with a spoon as it comes up to a boil.
• Season with salt and pepper and let simmer gently, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.
• This cooks the flour and thickens the sauce.
• Stir in the chives, adding a touch of soup stock or water if it seems too thick.
• Spoon over slices of ham.

CHICKEN DIANE

Steps:

• Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in oil and butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reaches 170°., In the same skillet, whisk the lemon juice, parsley and mustard until blended. Whisk in broth and green onions; heat through. Serve with chicken.