Chicken Paillard With Black Olive Tapenade

By David Tanis

Chicken Paillard With Black Olive Tapenade
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(321)
Comments
Read comments

Paillard is the French word for a thin slice of meat that cooks quickly. (Sometimes, a thicker piece of meat is pounded with a mallet to make it thinner.) This recipe is an easy way to make a chicken paillard without much pounding. Essentially, you butterfly a boneless, skinless chicken breast, slicing horizontally to make a flat, heart-shaped breast, then pound it lightly. Unfortunately, a chicken breast is often dry and tasteless, but it doesn’t have to be. Seasoned and cooked correctly, it should be tasty and moist. A dab of tapenade, a traditional Provençal black olive paste, makes a perfect accompaniment.

Featured in: You Deserve More Succulent Chicken

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Tapenade

    • 1cup pitted Niçoise olives
    • 4anchovy fillets
    • 3garlic cloves, grated
    • 1tablespoon capers, well rinsed
    • 3tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
    • ½teaspoon orange zest
    • ½teaspoon lemon zest
    • Pinch of red-pepper flakes
    • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil

    For the Chicken

    • 4boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 8 ounces each
    • Salt and pepper
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1tablespoon roughly chopped thyme, plus a few sprigs
    • 8wide strips of lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
    • 5ounces wild arugula (about 4 handfuls)
    • A piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino Romano, for shaving
    • Lemon wedges
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

636 calories; 43 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 28 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 56 grams protein; 747 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the tapenade: In the bowl of a food processor, place olives, anchovy, garlic, capers, parsley, orange zest, lemon zest, red-pepper flakes and olive oil. Pulse several times to make a rough paste, then scrape down sides of the bowl and purée for about 30 seconds more. Alternatively, use a knife to finely chop ingredients, transfer them to a bowl and stir in the olive oil. You should have about 1 cup of tapenade, more than you need for this recipe. (Refrigerate the remainder for up to 2 weeks.)

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the chicken: Working one at a time, lay chicken breast on a sturdy cutting board. With a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut breast horizontally in half, almost, but not completely. Open the breast like a book; it will be a heart-shaped piece of meat. Lay the breast between two resealable plastic bags and lightly pound the breast to ⅜- to ½-inch thickness. Don’t pound too hard, or the meat may tear. When all breasts are ready, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet in one layer.

  3. Step 3

    Season each breast on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped thyme, and rub seasoning into meat, coating evenly with oil. Scatter thyme sprigs and lemon zest strips over. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Set oven to 400 degrees. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat, and lightly coat bottom with olive oil. When oil is hot, lay two chicken breasts top-side down in skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn over and cook 1 minute more. Transfer breasts to a clean baking sheet, browned-side up. Repeat with the other breasts.

  5. Step 5

    Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes, until firm to the touch. Remove from oven, keep warm and let rest 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and lemon zest strips.

  6. Step 6

    Put arugula in a bowl, and dress very lightly with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place a handful of dressed greens on each of four plates. Place cooked paillards alongside. Smear 1 tablespoon tapenade across the surface of each breast. With a vegetable peeler, shave some cheese over arugula. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
321 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

paul mones

I have made tapenade more times than I can count - this recipe is just as good, more nuanced and way less salty and thus more ‘olivey’ if you delete the anchovies- also for extra depth - especially when combined with chicken- add a couple sundried tomatoes that have been soaked in olive oil and as well a juice of a half lemon.

Madeline

I do not cut breasts in half. I do pound them to probably 5/8 of an inch uniform thickness. I do not fry them on top of the stove, I go straight to the oven. I bake uncovered at 360 degrees (350 in my convection) for 50 minutes. Neither dry nor undercooked.

Scott

Skip the plastic bags and use a folded piece of parchment paper to pound the paillard

anne

Delicious

sara

Woah! Salty! Rinse the olives thoroughly. 3 garlic cloves are too much for my taste. I had to toss the tapenade out. 😕

Rena

Please note that this recipe requires a baguette or similar bread for the tapenade. I didn’t realize it until the last sentence as it’s not on the ingredient list.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.