It’s surprisingly easy to make hen paillard at dwelling that tastes prefer it’s straight out of a French bistro! It comes out tender and bathed in a tangy, savory pan sauce—the proper dish for simple weeknight dinners or impressing associates. Everybody at all times desires seconds in our home!
Why we love this recipe
If you happen to’re in search of a recipe that claims, “I do know what I’m doing within the kitchen” however is definitely easy to place collectively, two phrases: hen paillard. This traditional French recipe is elegantly easy and one of many high recipes we pull out to impress family and friends.
We first had the dish at a French restaurant close to out home, and it was so completely taste packed, we needed to attempt our personal spin on the recipe. Right here’s our model, the place tender cutlets are bathed in a tangy, savory sauce that may have you ever need to lick your plate clear! Serve with an arugula salad and it’s bought a sophistication that works for friends however is the proper straightforward dinner thought.
“My oh my the flavour right here is so good! The hen was juicy but agency. After which the sauce: I may drink this sauce out of a cup! Unbelievable taste and straightforward to make.” -Tanvee
What’s hen paillard?
Hen paillard is a traditional French dish starring a boneless, skinless hen breast that has been pounded to a skinny, even thickness. In actual fact, “paillard” means “scallop” in French, which refers back to the hen’s flattened form—not a sauce. The pounding approach permits for fast cooking, leading to a superbly browned cutlet with tender, juicy inside. It’s not unusual on French bistro menus or in New York Metropolis eating places.
Substances in hen paillard
Like several good French recipe, hen paillard is all about high quality of elements. Right here’s what you’ll have to know to make this recipe shine:
- Hen breast: Purchase natural hen if in any respect doable. Search for boneless skinless hen breasts, or cutlets if doable.
- Butter: The French method of cooking hen is in butter! We like salted butter to season the dish. If desired, you possibly can substitute olive oil
- Garlic: Recent garlic is vital for the flavour; don’t use jarred garlic because it typically has a bitter or acidic taste.
- Shallot: Shallots deliver a refined onion taste. Substitute yellow onion in a pinch!
- Apple cider vinegar: Only a trace of ACV provides a tang to the sauce.
- Stone floor mustard: The star right here is stone floor mustard, which provides a savory taste and good look to the sauce. Use Dijon mustard in a pinch.
- White wine or hen inventory: For a classy aptitude, cooking with white wine provides a vibrancy to the sauce. And, you possibly can drink glasses from the bottle whilst you prepare dinner!).
Methods to butterfly hen breast
Crucial a part of hen paillard is the “paillard” half: forming the hen into skinny cutlets in order that they prepare dinner evenly. Historically hen paillard is pounded in order that it comes out tender. Right here’s what to do to butterfly a hen breast and pound it earlier than cooking:
Step 1: Place your hand excessive of the hen breast. Use a pointy knife to fastidiously slice the breast horizontally, leaving the sting intact so it might open up like a e book.
Step 2: Unfold the hen breast, then reduce alongside the fold to separate the 2 halves (every half is a cutlet).
Step 3: Cowl the hen with plastic wrap and flippantly pound the hen with a mallet or heavy pan to make it an excellent 1/4-inch thickness.
Methods to serve hen paillard
Hen paillard is usually served with an arugula salad, because it provides a pleasant recent counterpoint to the savory hen. Listed below are a few of our favourite easy methods to serve it:
Storing leftovers
Leftover hen paillard shops nicely: retailer leftovers refrigerated for as much as 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop earlier than serving.
Extra favourite hen dinners
This hen paillard recipe is one other star in our favourite hen dinner concepts lineup! A couple of extra we advocate attempting:
Dietary notes
This hen paillard recipe is gluten-free. For dairy-free, use olive oil or vegan butter.
Incessantly requested questions
The hen is cooked when it reaches an inside temperature of 165°F. You can too verify if it’s cooked by by making a small reduce within the thickest a part of the hen and guaranteeing it’s not pink.
Completely! A easy pan sauce with lemon, butter, and herbs is a traditional pairing. You can too get inventive with different sauces, akin to a creamy mushroom sauce or a tomato-based sauce.
It’s finest to prepare dinner hen paillard simply earlier than serving for optimum texture and taste. Nevertheless, you possibly can pound the hen breasts forward of time and retailer them within the fridge till able to prepare dinner. Leftovers retailer refrigerated as much as 3 days.
Description
It’s surprisingly easy to make hen paillard at dwelling that tastes prefer it’s straight out of a French bistro! It comes out tender and bathed in a tangy, savory pan sauce—the proper dish for simple weeknight dinners or impressing associates. Everybody at all times desires seconds in our home!
- 2 boneless skinless hen breasts or 4 cutlets (1 to 1 ½ kilos, natural if doable)*
- 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, minced (or 3 tablespoons minced yellow onion)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon stone floor mustard (or Dijon mustard)
- ½ cup dry white wine or hen inventory
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (or olive oil or vegan butter)
- Finely chopped recent parsley, for garnish (non-obligatory)
- Pat the hen dry with a paper towel. If utilizing breasts, slice them in half horizontally (when you purchased cutlets, skip this step). If desired, place the hen cutlets between two items of plastic wrap and place them on a slicing board. Utilizing a mallet or heavy skillet, pound them to an excellent 1/4” thickness.
- Sprinkle the hen on all sides with the kosher salt (utilizing as much as 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt if in case you have 1 ½ kilos hen) and black pepper.
- Add the olive oil to a big skillet and warmth over medium warmth. Add the hen and prepare dinner for 3 to five minutes per aspect, till browned on either side. When the inner temperature is 165°F, or the middle is not pink, take away to a platter.
- In the identical skillet, cut back the warmth to low and add the minced garlic and shallot. Prepare dinner for about 1 minute, till the garlic is aromatic, then stir within the apple cider vinegar, mustard, and white wine (or hen inventory). Deliver to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the pan for further taste.
- Scale back to a simmer, then add the butter. Simmer till thickened barely, about 2 minutes.
- Serve heat, drizzling the sauce over the hen. If desired, sprinkle with chopped parsley to garnish. Leftovers retailer as much as 3 days refrigerated.
- Class: Important dish
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: French
- Food plan: Gluten Free