I arose before dawn on Saturday morning to be greeted with a wet deck and soggy chair cushions. I just hadn't tuned into the weather forecast what with everything that's going on in the world. I haven't been sleeping much either, so I got to work at my desk paying office bills and payroll taxes, home bills and my mother's bills. Before long the cloud-laden sky gave way to a sun-filled, crisp, beautiful day.
Saturday's farmer's market was bursting with late summer corn, fat juicy tomatoes,voluptuous purple figs and big bunches of basil perfect for pesto. I love the market in late summer/early fall when the first pumpkins and winter squash, pears and apples join the lineup of usual suspects already piled high in the stalls. I left with some gorgeous corn for Sunday dinner, a couple of handfuls of small and colorful peppers to be grilled alongside thin pork chops for dinner tonight, two bunches of basil that were quickly dispatched into pesto, some arugula, a piece of gorgonzola dolce and a bouquet of very large conical-shaped hydrangeas. The rest of the day was filled with some errands, some work and some hanging out.
I thought the perfect way to end the day would be with Chicken Paillard with Fresh Fig Salad and Blue Cheese. I made this dish last week in Nantucket while visiting friends and wanted John to try it.
The original recipe is from Tyler Florence, and I found it via recipegirl. Below is my adaptation.
Chicken Paillard With Fresh Fig Salad and Blue Cheese
Serves 4
Vinaigrette
3 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 medium lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1/4 pound prosciutto
extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch arugula, trimmed
4 ounces blue cheese, broken into small chunks
1 small basket fresh figs, halved
Direction
Prepare vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place prosciutto slices on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes until they begin to crisp. Remove and cool. When cool break each slices into small pieces.
Chicken: Cut each breast piece in half horizontally. Cover pieces with plastic wrap and pound until they are very thin. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Oil grill and preheat. Brush each paillard with olive oil and grill over high heat just until done.
They cook very quick. Arrange chicken pieces on a platter. Drizzle with a little vinaigrette. Top with arugula, blue cheese, figs and prosciutto bits.
Cook's Notes:
The first time I made this, I sauteed the chicken as per the original recipe, but grilling works great, too. If you don't have sherry vinegar, any vinegar would work. I used Gorgonzola Dolce, but goat cheese would work just as well.
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