5 CHICKEN PAILLARD WITH SAGE, GARLIC AND BROWN BUTTER

SERVES 2–3

• 2 x 200 g chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

• 75 g cake wheat flour

• 45 ml (3 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil • 50 g unsalted butter

• 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled and smashed

• 30–45 ml (2–3 tbsp) capers in brine, rinsed

• 20–30 fresh sage leaves • zest and juice of half a lemon • 100 ml (2⁄5 cup) chicken stock • fine sea salt • freshly cracked black pepper

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts (see ‘Note’) and place in between two sheets of baking paper. Use a rolling pin to bash the chicken until it’s 3–4 mm thick. Remove the paper and season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the flour on a plate and dredge the chicken in the flour.

2. Set a wide, flat frying pan over a high heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for 1–2 minutes per side, until slightly golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and reduce the heat to medium.

3. Add in the butter and garlic cloves. When the butter has browned, add in the capers and sage and fry for 30 seconds. Next, add in the lemon zest and juice, along with the chicken stock. Simmer the pan sauce until it has reduced by half, then add the chicken back in, coating it in the sauce and cooking for a further minute just to heat it through. Serve immediately. To butterfly a chicken breast, place it on a chopping board with the thicker end pointing away from you. Press down onto the chicken with the palm of your nondominant hand while you use a chef’s knife to cut through the length of the chicken breast, aiming to get as close to the centre as possible. Do this slowly and carefully. As you cut, use the hand that’s pressing down on the breast to lift the top piece of breast away from the bottom. Cut all the way through to the other end, leaving you with two thin slices of chicken breast.