Recipe Wednesday - Chicken Paillard

The other day I was flipping through my cookbooks, looking for something new to make, and I came across a recipe for chicken paillard in Tyler Florence's "Family Meal". I like it because it's very simple to make, is absolutely delicious and if you throw some gravy or marinera and cheese on it, you've got chicken fried chicken or chicken parm.

Now you're probably thinking, "I thought these recipes were supposed to be healthy. Fried chicken's not healthy!" You're right, but when you're craving fried chicken, baked just doesn't do it, and fried chicken can be healthier. Frankly, as long you eat right normally, you can enjoy a little fried food without throwing everything off. The good thing about paillard, is that you pound the meat thin before you pan-fry it, so it cooks faster and spends less time in the oil. And the lemon juice on top adds a ton of flavor, without any fat. My husband prefers it with marinera, so I just heat up a little sauce for him and pour it on his before I serve it. He says, and I quote, "This is the best chicken parmesan I've ever had. I feel like I could eat this every day." He likes it because it doesn't come out greasy and he doesn't feel like he's just eaten a heavy fatty meal. If I serve it with salad, he feels like he ate so healthy that he makes himself a batch of cinnamon rolls for dessert. (He's not the healthiest guy.)

Chicken Paillard

4 3oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even 1/2" thickness

1 c whole wheat flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
3 lemons, cut into wedges

Note on pounding chicken - if you cut a slit in the underside of the thickest part of the breast, it will help it to flatten when you pound it. To pound out chicken, place each chicken breast between two large sheets of plastic wrap and hit with a meat mallet (or if you're like me and don't own a meat mallet, use a rolling pin... or wine bottle.)

Set up a breading station:

1 bowl with flour. Add enough salt and pepper so that you can see the pepper in the flour and taste the seasonings.

1 bowl with beaten eggs

1 bowl with panko bread crumbs. Again, add enough salt and pepper to see and taste it in the crumbs.

Take each pounded chicken breast and first coat in flour, shaking off the excess, then in egg, and lastly in bread crumbs. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining breasts. Refrigerate the plate of breaded chicken for ten minutes, so the breading will adhere better when fried.

While chicken is chilling, fill a large skillet with 1 1/2" oil. Heat on med-high until oil pops with a drop of water hits it. Fry each chicken breast, one at a time, in the oil for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove fried chicken from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over chicken.