Our articles may contain affiliate links. For more information, view our policies.

The Wine Country way to cook chicken

Mark and Allie Ketcham, proprietors of Ketcham Estate Winery in California’s Russian River Valley shared this easy chicken recipe with us. It’s a family recipe, one created by Allie. She was inspired by one of her favorite restaurant dishes, the Chicken Paillard at Bistro Ralph, a beloved Healdsburg restaurant that closed in 2016. Bistro Ralph was a mainstay in downtown Healdsburg for 24 years. Anyone who ever tried the chicken, is sure to be transported with this recipe.

TO TRY: Braised Chicken Breast with Orzo & Olives

What is paillard?

Paillard simply refers to flattened meat, be it chicken pork or beef. Making a paillard involves pounding the meat to a perfect, thin scallop that cooks quite quickly and evenly. Allie recommends zipping the meat into a sealed bag before pounding, which makes for extremely easy cleanup and zero raw meat aversion.

And since we’re in support of making the process of cooking a pleasure, we’re sharing this technique, even though we know it’s not the most eco-friendly. We can also suggest pounding between two sheets of parchment paper. It isn’t necessarily quite as clean of a method as Allie’s but it does the job without excess plastic.

To further reduce any chance of meat aversion, be sure to buy boneless cuts of meat. This will largely reduce the amount of time you spend handling the raw chicken. Trust me, you do not want to debone chicken unless you have to.

How to serve this tasty chicken breast recipe

This chicken is meant to be served with the caper pan sauce poured over the top and a wadge of fresh lemon. Make it the centerpiece of a meal with a simple sautéed veg or colorful side salad and perhaps your favorite roasted or mashed potatoes.

If you want a side dish that’s lighter, consider serving this pan fried chicken with a cauliflower puree. Alternatively, you could make a chicken paillard salad. Just cut the browned chicken breasts into thin strips and serve with a plated green salad.

A chicken paillard wine pairing

Although you can serve this chicken breast paillard with whatever beverage you like, the Ketchams recommend serving it with a great Russian River Pinot Noir, like their Savannah and Nick’s Cuvee. (This limited production Pinot Noir is named after the Ketchem’s two children, so you know it is a labor of love.) And since red wine makes our list of the world’s greatest aphrodisiac foods, the combination really assures you a chance at romance.

Looking for more easy chicken recipes? Visit our recipe index.

Allie Ketcham’s Chicken Paillard

Print Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Cooking Style fast, shallow frying

Seasonal autumn, Holiday season

Ingredient chicken

Servings servings

Author Allie Ketcham of Ketcham Estate Winery

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts approx 6-oz each, thinly pounded (I recommend zipping them in a Ziploc bag one at a time and pounding each with a meat pounder.)
2 large eggs beaten
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil for shallow frying
2 shallots minced
3 Tbsp capers with juice
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp butter
1 lemon cut into wedge

Instructions

Once the chicken fillets are pounded thin, dredge them in egg & bread crumbs.
Heat a cast iron fry pan to very hot.
Add Olive oil. Cook chicken in pan about 3 minutes on each side. Or until it seems like it is cooked all the way through.
Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels.
Turn down the heat on your stove to low, add shallots and let brown for a minute or two.
Add capers, cider vinegar and mustard. Be sure to scrape down and incorporate any chicken bits that may be stuck on the pan.
Simmer until liquid reduces to about half.
Stir in the butter and cook another minute.
To serve, plate the chicken and pour sauce over each paillard. Squeeze the lemon over the finished chicken or serve wedges on the side.
Enjoy with a glass of Ketchem Estate Pinot Noir.

Allie Ketcham’s Chicken Paillard Recipe

The Wine Country way to cook chicken

What is paillard?