A Panel and Paillard and Pasta... Oh My!
A simple yet elegant lunch for when you’re short on time.
This week I spent most of my time on-the-go, bouncing between events, friends, and work. I did not have time to cook for myself and ended up eating a bunch of meals that were just… meh… in both flavor and nutritional value. Thinking ahead to next week, I know I will have a similar experience (a friend’s wedding at the end of the week means members of both sides of our family traveling into town). When I know I will be eating dinner out, I try to ensure I am having lunch that I have prepared myself. This weeks’ Meal In is one of my go-to lunches that can be prepped in advanced.
On Wednesday evening, I went to a book signing and panel for King’s new cookbook. King was my birthday meal this year. I love their approach to food — neighborhoody, casual yet elegant, ever changing and seasonal but with consistent building blocks. Simple elegance is also how I describe this week’s Meal In. Essentially a cutlet, Chicken Paillard is just a boneless, skinless chicken breast that has been sliced in half and hammered down thin to cook quickly. It is incredibly simple to make, but the herby marinade makes it feel far more special than many other chicken recipes.
The following evening, I attended East Fork’s Maraschino launch at Big Night in the West Village. To celebrate their new red ceramic glaze, they had an amazing spread by Lighthouse that featured pops of red — beet hummus, grapes, blood oranges, pomegranate cookies, and more. I really credit East Fork as one of the brands who brought ceramics back into popular culture and made it something the average person thinks about. Big Night’s space on West 10th will always have a place in my heart, having been home to CAP Beauty for many years. CAP introduced me to many of the grocery and beauty brands I still love. I can remember walking to the store on a bad day when I first moved to New York and buying a bottle of Wonder Valley Olive Oil to cheer myself up. Big Night follows in CAP’s footsteps and has an outstanding pantry collection (including Wonder Valley). This week’s Meal Out is the meal I had following this popup, right around the corner.
Meal In: Chicken Paillard Sandwiches
Chicken paillard is pan-fried chicken that gets pounded to a perfect thinness to cook extremely quickly. The marinade with lemon zest and herbs makes it feel like a dish you would order at a French bistro. It is perfect for both sandwiches or alongside a salad. Today, I opted for a classic sandwich with the paillard, mustard, mayonnaise, and lettuce on ciabatta.
To prepare it, I first slice my chicken breasts in half lengthwise. I like to cover them with a sheet of parchment paper to make cleanup easy. I then hammer them down evenly to thin them out, flipping them over to ensure both sides are flattened. I use a rolling pin which works great, but of course they also make dedicated mallets if you prefer. Once flattened, salt and pepper both sides.
From there, I prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, I add the zest of a whole lemon, 2 grated garlic cloves, and every herb I have in the fridge chiffonaded. My preferred mix is thyme, rosemary, parsley, and tarragon. Pour olive oil on top and stir to combine. I then add the chicken to the marinade, flipping it over and ensuring all sides are fully coated.
If you are short on time, you can cook the chicken immediately. If you have an extra thirty minutes, leave the chicken to marinade in the fridge and it will taste even better. I sometimes will prep the chicken the night before.
When done marinating, take your chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet and place the chicken in the pan. Because it is thin, the chicken will cook very quickly — in just a few minutes. Once it becomes golden brown, flip it over and do the same on the other side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
At this point, the chicken can be used however you want. If I am making it for a salad, I will slice it here. For the sandwich, I sliced a loaf of ciabatta and toasted it in a pan. I added mayonnaise and Dijon mustard to one side and layered the chicken with lettuce on the opposite. I had mine with a small salad and chips — I can never eat a sandwich without them.
The next day, I was running late for work and managed to put together lunch in five minutes. I put the chicken over lettuce with a quick dressing of mustard, lemon, shallot, and olive oil. A perfect and easy lunch!
Meal Out: I Sodi
Following the event at Big Night, a friend and I grabbed dinner nearby at I Sodi. We started with their endive salad, which had endives, Castelfranco radicchio, sliced apples, walnuts, and goat cheese. The bitterness from the endive and radicchio alongside the sweetness of the apple and richness of the goat cheese made for a perfect balance. The rest of the meal fell flat for me — not bad, just unremarkable. While the flavor was great, my pasta was far too rich for my taste, like eating pasta in French onion soup. The salad was good enough that I would go back just for that. I added it the Salad As Main Event list I keep stored in my phone (will share in the future) — simple elegance.