Movie Menu: Simply Irresistible Chicken Paillard with Lemon Champagne Cream Sauce

The year was 1999. I was in my final year of middle school, I’d made my first trip to New York during the Christmas season, and the person I most wanted to be when I grew up was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That is until I watched a little movie called Simply Irresistible starring none other than my favorite starlet Sarah Michelle Gellar. The movie follows Amanda Shelton (played by Gellar) a struggling chef who has exhausted every option she has to save the beloved restaurant that her mother ran while she was alive.

     With the aid of a magic crab (yes, you read that correctly, a magic crab) and her loved ones Amanda begins to cook the most sensational food in New York City. Cue Tom Bartlett (played by Sean Patrick Flannery of The Boondock Saints, another of my all-time favorite films.) Tom plays an uptight commitment-phobe who runs an upscale department store on Fifth Avenue, a department store that will soon be opening a five-star restaurant inside the store. After tasting Amanda’s food, he discovers that both she and her food are simply irresistible. That’s not an easy pill to swallow for someone who shirks the idea of a fourth date, determines that he’s under Amanda’s spell. Literally.

I understand that this movie has a bit of a quirky plot that isn’t for everyone. But I have loved it from the moment that I first watched it during a sleepover party back in the 90s. Simply Irresistible is the movie that first inspired me to want to learn to cook and bake. And while most bloggers would probably share their version of Amanda’s caramel eclairs, I’ve decided to go a different route. What makes this movie so intriguing to me is the idea that Amanda’s emotions manifest through her cooking. So, imagine the hilarity when Tom’s “girlfriend” (played by Amanda Peet) eats the chicken paillard that Amanda prepared for her!

With that being said, let’s take a look at what chicken paillard actually is.  The definition of a paillard is “a boneless cut of meat that has been pounded until flat and cooked rapidly.” There is no specific seasoning for chicken paillard, but it is often breaded and served with a sauce. My recipe for chicken paillard contains some of my favorite flavors: lemon, cream, and champagne. And because this is a romantic film, why not make it a romantic dinner for two? So, without further ado, I give you Simply Irresistible Chicken Paillard served with a lemon champagne cream sauce.

Ingredients:

Chicken

·         ½ cup of all-purpose flour

·         ¼ teaspoon of salt (I like to use pink Himalayan salt)

·         1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

·         2 eggs

·         ¾ cup of Panko breadcrumbs

·         ¼ cup of parmesan cheese

·         The zest of 1 lemon

·         1/8 teaspoon of Hungarian paprika

·         2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

·         Extra virgin olive oil (for frying)

Sauce:

·         3 tablespoons of salted butter divided

·         2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour mixture (from above)

·         ½ cup of whole milk

·         ½ cup of heavy cream

·         ¼ cup of champagne (I like to use Verdi Spumante)

·         Juice from ½ a lemon

·         1 cup of sliced baby Bella mushrooms

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. Remove two tablespoons of this mixture and set aside.

2. In a second bowl, whisk eggs.

3. In a third bowl, mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, lemon zest, and paprika.

4. Between two sheets of wax paper, pound the chicken breasts until they are ¼ inch thick (I use a rolling pin for pounding, but a skillet works just as well.)

5. In a saucepan, melt two tablespoons of butter.

6. Add mushrooms and cook through.

7. Push the mushrooms to the side and add remaining butter to the pan.

8. Once the sauce has melted, whisk in the flour.

9. When the roux forms, pour in milk, heavy cream, and champagne, whisk until smooth.

10.         Stir mushrooms into the mixture, while stirring add lemon juice. Remove from heat and set aside.

11.         In a large frying pan, on high heat, add olive oil.

12.         Place the chicken into the frying pan, allowing to cook for 4 minutes on each side.

13.         Plate the chicken and top with sauce.

This is my all-time favorite chicken dish (not to toot my own horn.) The flavors marry together perfectly and create a romantic meal for two. It also pairs wonderfully with a variety of side dishes. My recommendations for sides include asparagus with hollandaise sauce, steamed broccoli, and/or Martha Stewart’s delicious recipe for mashed potatoes. Whatever you decide to make as an accompaniment, may your meal be simply irresistible.