Today was one of those busy mornings when I don’t have the time to think about lunch. When this happens, I sometimes like to buy breaded chicken paillards that will be ready in no time. All I need to do is add a fresh salad of finely shredded green cabbage with with carrots, apples, and onion, and a side of mashed yellow potatoes that goes great with the chicken.
To make this delicious homey dish, first prepare the mashed potatoes. Cook them in boiling water until soft. Drain, peel and press them with a potato masher or pass them through a ricer. Add butter, hot milk, salt to taste, stir, and voilá! Mashed potatoes are ready.
To make the salad I like to slice the cabbage with a mandoline because that way I get very thin slices. Add grated carrots, finely sliced onion, a red apple cut thinly like matchsticks, celery, finely sliced radish, and some fresh oregano leaves. Season with salt and pepper, add lemon juice and olive oil and combine well.
To cook the chicken, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the paillards one by one, turning after five minutes or when the edges look golden brown. Transfer to a dish covered with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
Place a mound of mashed potatoes in each plate. Top with the chicken paillards, and serve the salad on the side.
Kids love chicken paillards, especially when served with French fries. Some people add mayonnaise to the dish, or aji amarillo paste, and I love it with hot pepper marmalade,because the sweet-spicy flavor complements the chicken nicely.
What about you? What’s your go-to dish when you have nothing planned for lunch?
Peru Delights
where is the recipe for the «chicken paillards
Hi Pat. I bought the chicken paillards at the grocery store (for convenience), but here is the recipe: 1 skinless chicken breast ,salt and pepper, 1/2 cup All-purpose flour, 1 egg, lightly beaten, vegetable oil.
Cut the chicken breast in half but do not cut completely, and opne like a book. Put the breast between two plastic sheets or between wax paper.
Using a mallet pound the chicken to make it thinner, but be careful and do not make holes in the flesh. Remove the plastic or wax paper, season with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken with flour.
Then dip it into the egg and allow the excess to drip off. Dredge in flour.
Heat about 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, and pan fry the chicken until golden brown. Turn to cook the other side.
You can make this simple -and equally delicious- without the flour and egg bath, just season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.