Dinner for One: Chicken Paillard with English Peas, Asparagus and Arugula

Friday night dinner was a little bit lonely last week as John didn't make it home but I decided to enjoy it nonetheless. There is something cathartic about ending the week in the kitchen, preparing a simple but satisfying meal while sipping on a glass of wine... even if you're flying solo. I started with a fresh organic chicken breast from Whole Foods and pounded it to about 1/2 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. I use a rolling pin to do this- careful to keep an even thickness and to avoid tearing the chicken. I then seasoned it with salt and pepper and coated it lightly with flour. I cooked the chicken over medium-high heat in a mixture of butter and olive oil until crispy brown- about 4 minutes per side.

I set the chicken aside on a plate, tented with foil to keep warm, while I prepared the vegetables. I decided on fresh English peas and Asparagus at Whole Foods- two quintessential Spring ingredients. Every cooking magazine that I open this month is teeming with recipes for dishes centered entirely around spring green vegetables. I grabbed two large handfuls of peas (still in in the pods) and one bunch of asparagus. If you've never purchased them fresh before, the peas look like super-sized sugar snap peas. The pods are very easy to pop open along the seam and then you run your finger through to pop the peas out. I steamed them in a covered pot, with a barely a centimeter of water, over medium heat until they were tender, 2-3 minutes max- draining and rinsing with cool water to stop the cooking process.

Meanwhile I trimmed the woody ends off of the asparagus and then sliced them into half inch pieces on the diagonal. (I only used about 2/3 of the bunch.) In the same pan that I'd used to for the chicken- the pan dripping add flavor- I drizzled a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium high heat. I then added one clove of garlic- minced- and the asparagus pieces, tossing to coat. The asparagus wasn't super thin but it only took 3-4 minutes of sautee-time before it was crisp-tender. Next went in the peas, zest of about half a lemon, some salt and pepper and a little pat of butter at the very end. I didn't have any fresh mint on hand but that would have been an excellent addition- a very classic flavor compliment to fresh peas- fresh basil would be great too.

I served the chicken warm, not necessarily hot, alongside a generous pile of sauteed veggies and topped everything with a pile of arugula salad: I combined one heaping cup of arugula, juice of half a lemon, drizzle of olive oil and tiny pinch of salt and pepper into a bowl, tossing to dress the greens.)

The lemony dressing on the greens picked up the zest in the vegetables, adding a nice zing to the dish. The sweetness of fresh peas doesn't even compare to that of frozen ones and the asparagus has noticeably more flavor at this time of year in particular. Not to mention the organic chicken actually tastes like CHICKEN which is a very different experience as compared to your average grocery store variety.

I picked up a bottle of ShooFly Buzz Cut white wine from Australia at Whole Foods as well. I keep seeing it everywhere so I decided to give it a try. Priced at only $9 I was very pleasantly surprised to find it was quite tasty and a perfect compliment to the dish. This very well could be a new staple for summer 2010. The winemaker's notes read as follows:

A lush blend of juicy, tropical Verdelho and exotically perfumed Viognier combine with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling to create a refreshing, firmly structured wine. Rich and vibrant flavors of tropical fruit, apricot, and grapefruit work wonders on the palate. Drink now or hide in the cellar for 3 years.