What is a chicken paillard you might ask?

What is a chicken paillard you might ask? Well, it’s simply a very large chicken escalope. To make a paillard, simply place a skinless chicken breast fillet between two large sheets of plastic or cling film and pound firmly and evenly with a meat mallet or rolling pound until the chicken is flattened out into a very thin escalope, about a quarter of a cm thick. This is your paillard. Why go to the trouble of flattening out a chicken breast fillet? Well, this process tenderises the meat and also makes it cook very quickly, so is great for a speedy meal.