Name: Chicken Paillard Salad with Arugula and Lemon
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: ¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 T. white balsamic vinegar; 1 T. fresh lemon juice; 1 t. lemon zest; ½ t. Italian seasoning; ½ t. garlic powder; 1 t. Dijon mustard; 1 T. honey; Sea salt, to taste; 1¼ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 t. garlic powder; Sea salt and black pepper, to taste; 2 T. extra virgin olive oil; 1 large organic lemon, sliced and cut in half, divided; 6 c. fresh arugula; 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved; 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped; ¼ c. shaved Parmesan cheese

Sometimes it is nice to make something a little different in the salad department. And if it sounds ultra fancy and French, then that’s an added bonus! Like lots of French recipes, when you get into what the term means, it isn’t anywhere as complex as it sounds. Let’s explore what a Chicken Paillard Salad with arugula and lemon is all about.

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What does Paillard mean?

Paillard is a French term that refers to the process of taking a boneless piece of meat and pounding it thinly, usually less than one inch thickness, before cooking it. The reason for this is that the meat is tenderised and cooks a lot quicker. It also loses less moisture when created like this. Another term for it is to butterfly the meat as it often looks like a butterfly’s wings when finished.

chicken paillard salad - chicken recipe on plate

Chefs recommend getting the meat as uniform in thickness as possible so don’t pound it too forcefully. A gentle, repeat tapping motion is perfect.

What’s a substitute for white balsamic vinegar?

The other thing you might see in the recipe that you might not be familiar with is white balsamic vinegar. Most of the stuff you see in the shops tend to be brown. White balsamic vinegar is made from white wine vinegar using Trebbiano grapes from Moderna, Italy. It has a light, slightly sweet flavour and modern acidity.

If you can’t get your hands on it there are a couple of options:

Balsamic vinegar if the colour doesn’t matter but the flavour will be stronger
Rice wine vinegar which is clear and mild flavoured
White wine vinegar

More recipe inspiration

Looking for more French-inspired chicken recipes? Then check out this Chicken Cordon Bleu with Creamy Butter Sauce. Or for another idea for using butterfly-style chicken, try the Easy Skillet Cheesy Chicken Cutlets.

What you need to make Chicken Paillard Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients:

¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
½ t. Italian seasoning
½ t. garlic powder
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 T. honey
Sea salt, to taste

Remaining Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t. garlic powder
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large organic lemon, sliced and cut in half, divided
6 c. fresh arugula
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
¼ c. shaved Parmesan cheese

Kitchen equipment

Glass jar with lid or salad dressing container
Plastic wrap (cling film) or wax paper
Meat mallet or rolling pin
Large skillet
Serving platter
Large glass bowl
Small bowl to serve (4)

How to make the recipe

STEP 1: Prepare the vinaigrette by combining all ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

STEP 2: Place the chicken on a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper spread out on a clean work surface once it has reached room temperature. Cut each piece of chicken breast in half horizontally (with the blade parallel to the counter) and arrange both halves on the sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper in a single layer.

STEP 3: Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to ¼” thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Remove the top cover and season on both sides with the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

STEP 4: Add the olive oil to a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and most of the lemon slices, reserving 3 or 4 slices for garnish.

STEP 5: Cook until the chicken is golden brown on the bottom and releases easily from the skillet, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook on the remaining side another 2-3 minutes, or just until the chicken is cooked through.

Note: Squeeze the lemon slices with tongs while the chicken cooks to release the juice.

STEP 6: Remove from heat and discard the lemon rinds. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and place the reserved lemons in the skillet for approximately 30 seconds per side to warm up. Place the warm lemons on the platter with the chicken and set aside.

STEP 7: Add the arugula, tomatoes, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese to a large bowl and drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on top. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.

STEP 8: To serve, divide the arugula salad between 4 serving bowls and top each with some of the chicken and warm lemon slices. Offer remaining dressing on the side while serving.

Storing the recipe

It isn’t the best idea to store the salad once it is made up for long as the greens will wilt. But you can batch the vinaigrette by making a double or even triple batch. Store leftover portions in the fridge in containers to use on more salad or as a marinade.

Recipe tips

You can use any variety of cherry tomatoes or even grape tomatoes for the salad if the multi-coloured mini-heirloom tomatoes shown here are unavailable.

Yield: 4 portions