Shuck and cluck: chicken paillards with sweet-corn salad

We all have that one dish in our file that motivates people to ask us for the recipe. For me that dish is sweet-corn salad.

As tasty as it is, there is nothing novel or fancy about a corn salad—especially not its name. However, if for the purposes of this post we can agree that French culinary terms impart a certain level of swankiness, let's make this dish a bit more deluxe by adding the tender slices of lightly pounded and sautéed poultry known as paillards. We'll call it Paillards de Poulet with Sweet-Corn Salad. 

See what I mean about French?

At Farmstand Foodie HQ, sweet-corn salad is regarded as the ultimate summer food. Complemented by tangy tomatoes and bright basil, it hits all the high points of the hot season. Add a serving of chicken, and you elevate this salad to main-dish status. 

While we humans may be warm-weather weary when early September rolls around, it’s jackpot time for fresh produce. Even my humble little vegetable-and-herb plot is spitting out basil, chives, and grape tomatoes like a loose slot machine. That’s probably why this lightly pounded, sautéed chicken (A paillard is simply meat that's flattened with a mallet to cook quickly.) with barely cooked vegetables is one of my favorite late-summer meals to make. I can just walk out the back door, gather ingredients, and have dinner on the table in about 45 minutes. It’s also a nice way to dodge the monotony of buttered corn-on-the-cob that we tend to experience by late summer. 

This isn't a particularly difficult meal. But as with a lot of simple dishes, where fresh ingredients can't hide behind a sauce or complicated preparation, you'll earn extra points for technique. Your attention to detail will be rewarded. Try to keep the individual pieces of chopped onion roughly the size of a corn kernel, and the garlic pieces very fine. Both aromatics are lightly cooked in this salad, and aiming for a petite cut allows them to cook quickly and ensure no one gets a disagreeable bite of raw onion or garlic. 

You'll also notice the basil in this dish is handled two ways: some is chopped; some is torn.  Chopped basil begins to turn brown pretty quickly, and it will discolor even further when added to the hot corn mixture. The heat, however, tames its licorice-like bite and provides a more layered flavor.  Torn leaves don't discolor as rapidly at the edges, and adding them right before serving, when the corn is cooler, will help the basil to better retain its color and add a fresh, herbal flavor. It also makes for a prettier plate of food.

Also, before you remove the kernels from the cob, slice the tip from the cob and and place the flattened end in either an upside-down bundt pan or small, footed bowl that has been placed in a larger bowl to catch the kernels. You’ll appreciate this step if you’ve ever cut corn from the cob and watched it bounce, Superball-style, around and off your counters, right before skittering under your refrigerator. 

As for the paillards, I use chicken breast tenders because they’re easy to beat into submission and they cook in a flash. However, you could easily substitute boneless, skinless breasts. They work just great, too. If you don’t feel like chicken, ditch the bird and serve the salad as a side with any grilled meat or fish. A mess o' garlicky prawns comes to mind, but you might consider calling those shrimp crevette.

Chicken paillards with corn, tomato, and basil

Makes 4 servings

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, lightly packed
all-purpose flour for dredging (about 1/3 cup)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons snipped or chopped chives, for garnish

For the corn salad:

6 large ears corn, husked (about 4 cups of kernels)

1/3 cup finely chopped white onion

1/4 cup torn basil leaves (very small leaves may be left whole), lightly packed

1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes (quartered if large)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, traditional or white (traditional will discolor the corn a bit, but have a mellow flavor; white will leave you with bright, shiny corn, but it's a bit sharper tasting) 

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt           

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Using a large, sharp knife, cut corn kernels from cob. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté 1 minute. Add corn and sauté until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Your corn may begin to brown slightly, but don’t over cook. You want a little corn-on-the-cob-style crispness to remain. Remove corn from heat. Add chopped basil.

Transfer corn mixture to large bowl. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, 3 tablespoons oil, and torn basil. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Set aside.

For the chicken:

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

all-purpost flour for dredging (about 1/3 cup)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons snipped or chopped chives, for garnish

Using a meat mallet or heavy pan, pound chicken tenders between sheets of plastic wrap to about 1/4-inch thickness. (Three or four good whacks should do it.) Pat chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper, then dust with flour to coat, shaking off excess. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (cut to test for doneness).

Mound corn salad on a platter and top with warm paillards of chicken. Garnish with more torn basil and snipped chives.