Pan Grilled Paillards Of Duck Food

PAN-GRILLED PAILLARDS OF DUCK

Steps:

• Pull skin off duck and thinly slice skin, then cook skin with water in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and cracklings are browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve rendered fat. Spread cracklings on paper towels to drain.
• Remove tender from underside of each breast half if attached and reserve for another use, then trim silver membrane from each breast half. Halve each breast half horizontally to make a total of 4 thin pieces. Gently pound each piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/4-inch thickness with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin.
• Heat grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• While pan is heating, stir together salt, ginger, pepper, curry, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle each duck paillard with 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture per side and lightly brush with some rendered duck fat. Grill duck, turning over once, 3 to 4 minutes total for medium-rare, then transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil.
• While paillards stand, lightly brush orange slices with some rendered duck fat, then sprinkle with remaining spice mixture. Grill orange slices, turning over once, until just warmed through and grill marks appear, about 1 minute total, then transfer with duck to a platter.
• Season cracklings with salt and pepper and sprinkle over duck and oranges.
• *Available at the butcher section of many supermarkets and D'Artagnan (800-327-8246).

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.

PAN-GRILLED DUCK WITH SPINACH AND POACHED APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a sharp knife to remove any excess fat from the duck. Remove the neck, cut in half and place in a shallow roasting pan. Remove the wings, being careful not to cut into the breast. Place the wings in the roasting pan. Cut along one side of the ridge of the breastbone, then scrape the knife against the side of the breastbone, gently freeing one half of the breast from the cavity. Repeat on the other side. Remove as much fat as possible from the meat and discard the fat. Remove the loose, sinewy flap of meat from the underside of both breast pieces. Set aside. Blend the salt and pepper and rub the mixture into the skin side of the breasts. Cover and refrigerate. Remove the duck legs and use the back of the knife to break up the carcass. Add the carcass to the roasting pan and roast in the oven along with the neck and wings for 20 to 25 minutes, turning frequently until evenly browned.
• Put the browned duck parts, onion, leek, carrots, peppercorns and bouquet garni -- and enough water to cover, about 6 quarts -- in a stockpot over low heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the legs, the flaps of meat from the breast and the mushrooms, cover partially and simmer for 4 hours to get about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts. Skim any foam as it rises to the top.
• Strain the broth and discard the solids. Strain again through a fine sieve or a large strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cool and then refrigerate overnight to chill completely. Skim and discard the fat.
• Prepare the spicy poached apples. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• An hour before serving, begin making the sauce. Put the duck broth in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it has reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 35 minutes. (Freeze the remaining broth to make soup.) Add the leek or onion and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrot, remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Lay the breasts skin side down, and cook until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and cook until done, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Pour out the fat as it accumulates in the pan. Remove the breasts to a tray, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes and up to 15 minutes before slicing.
• Five minutes before you are ready to serve the duck, return the sauce to the heat and bring it to a simmer. Add the peppers and set aside for 3 minutes.
• Steam the spinach until just wilted and drain well.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the duck breasts thinly. Lay out 4 warmed plates. Place a mound of steamed spinach in the center of each plate and fan the duck slices around the spinach. Spoon the sauce over the meat, garnish with the spiced apples and serve.

GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARD WITH ARUGULA AND SHAVED PECORINO

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill to high. (If you hold your hand about 3 inches from the grill grate, you should have to move it within 3 seconds.)
• Arrange a chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or small heavy pan, pound the chicken evenly until it is 1/4 inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts; put the paillards on a baking sheet and brush both sides of each piece lightly with oil. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the garlic powder and sprinkle it evenly over both sides of the chicken pieces.
• Lightly oil the grill grate with an oil-soaked towel. Grill the chicken, turning once, until cooked through and grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean platter.
• In a large bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice, mustard and 2 tablespoons oil until combined; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the arugula to the bowl and toss to evenly coat.
• Put a piece of chicken on each of four plates and top with a mound of arugula. Garnish with cheese and more pepper to taste and serve immediately.

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.

GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARD WITH GREEK SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat, about 375 degrees F. Alternatively, heat a grill pan over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, place 1 chicken breast in a large resealable bag. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet or large plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Drizzle the chicken with 1 to 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and then season each side with salt and pepper.
• Grill the chicken until cooked through and grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes per side. About 2 minutes before the chicken is done, grill the halved lemons, cut-side down.
• While the chicken is grilling, make the salad: Combine the arugula with the olives, tomatoes and feta in a large bowl. Tear the basil leaves and oregano and add them to the bowl. Add the juice from 1 of the grilled lemons, the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Toss together until evenly coated in with the dressing. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed.
• Remove the chicken to a large platter. Mound the salad on top. Cut the remaining grilled lemon into wedges and place on the platter. Serve family style.

MOROCCAN-SPICED CHICKEN PAILLARDS

Steps:

• Prepare grill pan and start sauce:
• Heat grill pan over moderate heat until hot.
• Meanwhile, simmer all sauce ingredients except butter in a 1-quart saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Set aside while cooking chicken.
• Make paillards:
• Cook cumin, paprika, and pepper in oil in a small skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, reserving skillet for sauce (do not clean). Brush some spiced oil on 1 side of each paillard, then sprinkle with some salt. Arrange 2 paillards in grill pan, oiled sides down, and brush tops with some of spiced oil, then sprinkle with some salt. Grill 2 minutes, then turn over and grill until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil. Grill remaining paillards in same manner, transferring to platter.
• Finish sauce:
• Pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into reserved small skillet, discarding solids. Add any juices from chicken accumulated on platter to sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, then add butter and swirl skillet until butter is just incorporated. Season sauce with salt and spoon over chicken.

GRILLED PORK PAILLARDS

Steps:

• Place a pork chop between 2 layers of plastic wrap on work surface. using a meat pounder, pound to 1/4 in thickness. Repeat with remaining pork chops.
• Transfer to a nonmetal container. Add balsamic vinegar and oil. marinate, covered, in the refrigerator 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to med-high heat. Remove pork from marinade; season with salt and pepper.
• Grill until cooked through and browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side.
• Serve hot, garnished with basil and tomatoes.

GRILLED PAILLARDS OF BEEF WITH RED WINE AND PORT SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare grill.
• Make a bouquet garni by wrapping parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tying it closed with kitchen string. Thinly slice shallots. In a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté shallots with bouquet garni, stirring, until shallots are golden. Add Port and deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add red wine and boil sauce until almost evaporated and reduced to a glaze, about 2 tablespoons. Add stock and boil sauce until slightly thickened and liquid is reduced to about 2/3 cup. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and discard bouquet garni. Season sauce with pepper and salt and keep warm, covered.
• Pat steaks dry and season with pepper and salt. Grill steaks on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals about 30 seconds on each side for medium-rare. (Alternatively, grill steaks in a hot, lightly oiled, well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.)
• Serve steaks with sauce.