Pound it! That’s the simplest way to quickly cook a chicken breast on the stove top without turning it into a dry, hockey puckish lump. Yes, you can brine it, but that would take ages and if you’re looking for a quick way to make something delicious that qualifies as a meal and can be accompanied by a salad or other side or sliced and used in a stir fry, this is the technique. You can also flour, egg wash, and bread it and it turns into a schnitzel. As it is, it is sometimes called a paillard, or an escollope, and if you don’t just want to put it in a pan, you can spread something on it, roll it up, and grill it – the possibilities are endless. This is the most simple preparation I can think of, and a completely delicious one.
If you want to make something more like a schnitzel, drop your pounded breast into flour, shake it off, put it in an egg wash, then drop straight into a bowl of breadcrumbs or panko seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe a little bit of paprika – all else remains the same.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ lemon
Directions:
If your chicken breast has a tender still attached to it, butterfly it by slicing parallel to the breast, then fold it out so it is still attached and sits alongside the breast.
Place the whole thing in between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, gently pound the breast, focusing on the thicker areas as they form, until the whole thing is about ½ inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap and season each side with salt and pepper.
Film the bottom of a large heavy skillet with olive oil and place over medium high heat. When it’s shimmery, add the chicken breast and cook, without disturbing it, for 2-3 minutes, until the edges become white and the white starts to crawl up the top side. Flip it, and cook for another minute or two, until it’s just cooked through. Sprinkle with lemon juice, serve at once and enjoy with a salad or any number of wonderful, light, and delicious accompaniments.
The Grumpy Gastronome 
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