Chicken Paillard: Paris by Way of Big Sur
I used to absolutely dread the phrase, 'I'll just have the chicken.' In traditional French kitchens, it is so often the safe, uninspired choice. But a few years ago, after a long drive down the PCH with a bottle of chilled, natty Gamay rolling around my trunk, I stopped at a tiny farm stand in Big Sur. The farmer, a lovely guy named Silas, handed me a basket of the most vibrant, snappy haricots verts. I went home, pounded a chicken breast into a paper-thin paillard, and threw it into a screaming hot skillet. By maximizing the surface area, you get this deeply golden pan-roast. I gave it an aggressive, aromatic butter baste—do not skimp here, mes amis!—then tossed Silas's green beans right into those pan juices with smashed buttery green olives and, because I am fully Californian now, chunks of creamy avocado. This dish is my heart on a plate: classical French technique meeting sun-drenched West Coast produce. It is wildly juicy and incredibly fast. Want to make it your own? Swap the olives for capers or throw in a handful of blistered sungold tomatoes. Just promise me you won't skip the butter baste!
Featured Recipe
Pan-Roasted Chicken Paillard with Warm Haricots Verts & Smashed Olive Vinaigrette
Chicken breast has a reputation for being the safe, boring option, but in a French bistro, it is a canvas for technique. By pounding it into a thin paillard, we maximize the surface area for a deeply golden pan-roast, finishing with an aggressive, aromatic butter baste that keeps it wildly juicy. I serve it crowned with a tangled, sun-drenched salad of blistered haricots verts, buttery green olives, and creamy avocado, all tossed right in the pan juices. It’s elegant, incredibly fast, and tastes like a late-spring evening in Paris by way of Big Sur.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts(About 1 lb total)
- 1 tsp kosher salt(Divided use)
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 Meyer lemon (or regular lemon)(Zested and juiced)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 large shallot(Sliced into very thin rings)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil(Divided use)
- 3 tbsp unsalted cultured butter(Cultured butter makes a huge difference here!)
- 2 cloves garlic(Smashed but kept whole)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 oz haricots verts (French green beans)(Trimmed)
- 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives(Pitted and roughly torn or smashed)
- 1/2 ripe avocado(Diced)
Instructions
- 1
Place 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a meat mallet or a heavy skillet, pound them out to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Season both sides evenly with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper.
5 min
Tip: Don't be shy with the pounding—an even thickness is the secret to a fast, perfect pan-roast without drying out the meat.
- 2
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon (or regular lemon) and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Stir in 1 large shallot. Let the shallot sit in the acidic mixture to lightly pickle while you cook the chicken.
5 min
Tip: Macerating the raw shallots in the citrus takes away their harsh bite and leaves behind a beautiful, sweet allium flavor.
- 3
Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large cast-iron or heavy stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, lay the chicken paillards in the pan. Cook undisturbed until the edges turn opaque and you have a deeply golden crust on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4 min
Tip: If the chicken sticks, it's not ready to flip. Let the crust develop and it will release naturally.
- 4
Flip the chicken. Immediately add 3 tbsp unsalted cultured butter, 2 cloves garlic, and 3 sprigs fresh thyme to the pan. As the butter melts and foams, tilt the skillet slightly toward you. Use a large spoon to rapidly baste the foaming butter over the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter to rest.
3 min
Tip: This technique—arroser—infuses the meat with the thyme and garlic while keeping it luxuriously moist.
- 5
Keep the skillet over medium heat with all that glorious brown butter and thyme. Add the remaining 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and toss in 6 oz haricots verts. Sauté until blistered but still vibrant green and crunchy, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives to warm them through, then remove the pan from the heat.
4 min
Tip: We want the beans snappy and bright, just kissed by the brown butter and garlic left in the pan.
- 6
Pour the warm beans, olives, and any remaining pan juices directly into the bowl with the pickled shallot vinaigrette. Gently fold in 1/2 ripe avocado. Drape this warm, vibrant salad directly over the resting chicken paillards and serve immediately.
2 min
Tip: The hot pan juices will gently wilt the avocado just enough to make the vinaigrette incredibly creamy.
Chef's Notes
Pair this with a slightly chilled, natural Chenin Blanc or an unfiltered Chardonnay. The acidity of the Meyer lemon and the richness of the cultured butter absolutely demand a wine with some texture and zip!
Marguerite Lavigne
French soul, California sun
I grew up in a small village outside Lyon, where my grandmother taught me that the best meals come from respecting your ingredients. After training at Le Cordon Bleu and spending years in Parisian kitchens, I moved to San Francisco and fell in love with California's farmers markets and wine country. Now I cook the food I wish my grandmother could taste—French technique with California abundance, where a perfect roast chicken might come with Meyer lemon and wild fennel instead of tarragon.