My Family’s Favorite Chicken
Serves 4 | Prep Time 20 min | Cook Time 15 min
My Grandma Doris was a real piece of work. And, boy, did she have class! Doris was allergic to kitchens, so she used to take my brother and me out to fine restaurants whenever we visited. She loved one French restaurant in particular, always ordering chicken paillard with potato puree. It seemed so exotic, so chic, that Jeff and I always followed suit and loved it. It wasn’t until I was in cooking school years later that I learned it was just a fancy name for pounded chicken with mashed potato. You gotta love the French! But it’s still my favorite chicken dish, and it’s great for people who are having trouble eating. That’s because pounding the chicken flat makes it quick to cook and very easy to chew.
Instructions
Here’s a time-saving tip: Ask the butcher to pound the chicken for you. They’re usually happy to provide this service.
Place the chicken in several layers of parchment paper and pound each with a meat pounder until nice and thin, approximately 1⁄4 inch thick.
Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon zest, and thyme and whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour the mixture over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat each breast dry with paper towels. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until firm to the touch or the juices run clear. Serve garnished with the parsley and the Parsley Basil Drizzle.
COOK’S NOTE: Like snowflakes, no two pieces of chicken are alike. Some will be thicker and require a little extra pounding. Don’t get carried away with your mallet though, as the thinner parts of the chicken will tear if they’re pounded too much.
STORAGE: Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for 2 days.
PER SERVING: Calories: 170; Total Fat: 5 g (0.9 g saturated, 2.9 g mono-unsaturated); Carbohydrates: 2 g; Protein: 28 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sodium: 225 mg
Ingredients
4 organic skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Parsley Basil Drizzle, for garnish (optional)