Chicken Paillard with Greek Farmer’s Salad and Black Olive Vinaigrette

Makes 4 Servings
Hands-On Time: 30 minutes
Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Suggested Accompaniments
Greek Farmer Salad (see recipe below)
Tzatziki (see recipe below)

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 lemons, 2 zested and 1 cut in wedges
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon zest for garnishing, optional
Yogurt Cucumber Sauce (below)
Greek Farmer’s Salad (below)

Directions
Build a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill. Rinse and dry each chicken breast, remove the tenderloins if they’re still attached, and save them for another use. Brush the chicken lightly with oil on both sides (this will make the pounding easier). Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper about 8 x 8 inches. Using a meat pounder (or rolling pin), flatten each breast to about an even 1-inch thickness. Set aside.

Make the rub: Mix the garlic, lemon zest, salt, and water in a mortar or a shallow bowl. Grind with the pestle or the back of a fork. Add the oregano and pepper and grind again to mix. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions.

Brush each chicken paillard with olive oil on both sides.Thirty minutes before cooking, rub each paillard with 1⁄4 of the wet rub on both sides with clean hands, making sure to coat evenly. (The rub is very flavorful and will be too strong if left in clumps on the pieces of chicken.)

Using tongs, place the paillards on the cooking grate over direct medium heat, cover, and grill for about 4-6 minutes, turning once halfway through the cooking time. When the chicken is marked and cooked through, remove it from the grill.

Immediately squirt 1 to 2 lemon wedges over each piece of chicken, and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with the parsley and strips of lemon zest, if desired. Serve on top of the Greek Farmer’s Salad.

Yogurt-Cucumber Sauce (Tzatziki)
Makes about 2 cups

2 cups nonfat or regular plain yogurt
1/2 medium seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Place the yogurt in a strainer set over a large bowl. Allow to drain overnight in the refrigerator. Discard liquid. 


Wipe out the bowl, then put yogurt into it. Add the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate before serving.

Greek Farmer’s Salad
Makes 4 to 6 Servings

4 medium fully ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 European (long seedless) cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small red onion, cut in half and sliced into semi-circle rings
20 oil cured black olives, more or less to taste
Kosher salt

Freshly-ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 ounces feta cheese, cut into 8 pieces (optional)

In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and olives. Mix well and season with salt, pepper and dried oregano. Serve with chicken paillard and tzatziki. If using the optional feta cheese, serve the salad “authentic” Greek style with the cheese laid on top in thick slices (do not crumble or mix into salad).

Recipes for Chicken Paillard, Greek Salad and Tzatziki, come from Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot-and-Quick Grilling and Low-and-Slow BBQ, Wiley Publishing, 2005