Chicken Paillard & Kale Salad By Chef Jon Wipfli

Thin slices of tender, lightly seasoned chicken breasts served with a crispy raw kale salad topped with Parmesan, toasted pine nuts, almonds and drizzled with a dijon-shallot vinaigrette.

Watch our interview with Chef Jon Wipfli HERE

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 20-25 min

This dish is Gluten-Free

Calories: 375 Fat: 4g Carbs: 3g Protein: 23g

ABOUT THE DISH

This is Chef Jon Wipfli’s, The Minnesota Spoon, go-to after a long day at work and with a few cheffy tricks bring this flavor-packed dinner together in no time. First, we butterfly the chicken breasts allowing them to cook very quickly and stay juicy. Next, we massage the raw kale by hand for just a few minutes to tenderize and season the leaves. Lastly, we pull together a super simple vinaigrette that makes use of shallot, garlic, parsley, dijon, lemon and anchovy paste – a not-at-all fishy powerhouse of umami flavor.

Chef Jon Wipfli

This recipe was designed by local chef:

Chef Jon Wipfli - Minnesota Spoon

Jon Wipfli is a Midwest native dedicated to cooking with local and sustainable ingredients. As graduate of the French Culinary Institute of New York, he has traveled the country developing an extensive cooking repertoire. After over decade of cooking in notable restaurants such as; The Bachelor Farmer, Marlow and Sons and Cookshop, he decided it was time for a change and Jon moved into different fields within the food industry including catering, working with local businesses, authorship and feeding people small scale environments.” He is also the resident Chef for Growler Magizine.

Ingredients

Shallot

Garlic

Lemon

Kale

Pineapple

Almonds

Parsley

Savory dijon mustard (contains anchovy)

Parmesan

Chicken breasts

Toast To lightly heat grains in a sauté pan or pot until they are lightly toasted and aromatic.

Garnish To add decorative or savory touches to food.

Vinaigrette A type of salad dressing consisting of a vinegar and oil usually needing to be mixed or stirred before serving.

2 small bowls

Large bowl

Large sauté pan

Step 1: PREP THE SALAD

Check out the video, sent to your email, of Jon Wipfli preping and making this amazingly delicious and simple salad! Read through entire recipe before getting started. Wash and dry all produce. Remove stem and center rib from kale; discard stems, stack leave and cut into 1’’ ribbons. Cut lemon in half and juice. Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice; massage kale by hand for a few min to tenderize and season the leaves. Set kale aside.

Step 2: MISE EN PLACE

Rough chop almonds. Peel and mince shallot. Mince or grate garlic. Remove parsley leaves from stem; discard stem then mince leaves. Remove chicken breasts from package; rinse and pat dry.

Step 3: MAKE THE DRESSING

Combine shallot, garlic, parsley, dijon mustard and anchovy paste with 3 Tbsp. lemon juice in a small bowl. Add and 3 Tbsp. oil and whisk well to combine all ingredients. Cover and set aside to rest until just before serving. Add pine nuts and almonds to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Toast, while stirring for 1-2 min until lightly golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Step 4: PREP THE CHICKEN

Split chicken breast down the long way with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place one, chicken breast, at a time on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound each piece into a ¼” thickness using a meat mallet, heavy flat bottomed pan, or Jon’s favorite, an empty wine bottle. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 5: COOK THE CHICKEN

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large sauté pan used for almonds, over medium-low heat. When hot, add chicken breasts and gently warm until one side is halfway cooked through, about 5 min. Flip and cook for 4 min. Remove from pan; thinly slice and set aside. Chef’s Note: You want to try and cook the chicken through without to much browning. USDA recommends cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165ºF

Step 6: PLATE YOUR DISH

Divide kale between two bowls. Top with sliced chicken and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, almonds and parmesan. Enjoy!