Chicken Paillards with Artichoke Piccata

I've said it before and no doubt I will say it again. I don't really like flavorless, cottony chicken breasts. But Ann asks me to buy them for her for some of her recipes because they are a low fat, high quality protein. I get it, but I'd rather eat fewer thighs than more breast.

I got home from the store the other day bearing her chicken breasts and I was starving and looking for something other than leftovers for lunch. I decided to cook one of the chicken breasts and make it flavorful. It's a rare day when I actually cook lunch.

Chicken with Artichoke Piccata

Chicken breasts are so huge anymore than they are nearly impossible to flatten so that they cook evenly. Even cooking is essential with low-fat chicken breasts: you do not want any overcooked meat that is stringy and tough.

Paillard: Split, Pounded Chicken Breast

To help with this, I create what we call in the trade paillards ("pie yarr") by slicing the breasts in half into equally thick portions, then flattening them to even thickness. To flatten each paillard, I cover it with a piece of film and then using a heavy frying pan (my black steel French pan called a poêle) I gently pound the chicken breast out to even thickness. It takes a little practice to flatten chicken breasts without tearing them and to get them to even thickness. It helps to start in the center and work your way out to the edge, just like making a flatbread such as naan or pita.

Cook Until the Breast Turns White all Around the Edge

When I am frying a protein, I put it show side down in the pan and I do not move it until I am ready to flip it. This will give the best color for the show side, something that is important in restaurant presentation, but not so much at home. Still, old habits die hard. When you are cooking any protein, you are going to cook it longer on the show side than the flip side. Because the protein is cold throughout, it takes longer to warm the protein to the center when cooking the show side than it does to cook the flip side when the protein is already warm.

When you are cooking a protein, you are watching as the bottom side cooks. You will see the flesh turn from translucent to opaque all around the edge. When the opaque layer starts to move towards the upper surface, you will know that it is time to flip the protein.

In the photo above, the upper paillard is just about ready to flip. The lower one is not. You cannot see any white chicken on the righthand side where it is the thickest.

Build the Sauce After Flipping Show Side Up

After flipping the chicken paillards, I start to build the pan sauce. In goes a clove of garlic to cook for a few seconds, followed by a tablespoon of capers and a little caper brine. Next in go two cups of quartered artichoke hearts and the juice of half of a lemon.

Just as the chicken gets cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan. Over time, you will learn to feel with your fingers when a chicken breast has cooked all the way through. If in doubt, cut a slit in it with a knife and check visually. Remove the chicken from the pan and bring the sauce down as tight as you want, then stir in two tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley and plate.

In the restaurant, we would probably finish the sauce with a pat of butter, but at home, we are not trying to consume all those extra calories.

Chicken Paillards with Artichoke Piccata

The procedure for this dish is detailed above. This is a recap for two servings.

2 flattened chicken breast paillards

salt and pepper

olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon nonpareil capers and brine

2 cups quartered cooked artichoke hearts

juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

Season the paillards with salt and pepper. Film a skillet with olive oil and sear on high heat until half-cooked.

Flip and add garlic to the pan. Let the garlic cook for a few moments so that it is not raw.

Add capers, artichokes, and lemon juice in quick succession.

Remove the chicken when done. Reduce the sauce as necessary. Add parsley and plate.