Daniel Boulud's Grilled Chicken Paillard with Corn Salad and Pepper Coulis

 Chef Boulud made this on the TODAY show in honor of Al Roker's 70th Birthday. So good! I misread the amount of red peppers and only bought one - so used roasted red peppers in the coulis instead and it was fine :) Only thing I didn't do in time was bloom my mustard seeds - do that FIRST!

SERVES 4 

CORN SALAD

1/2 pound bacon, medium diced 

2 ears corn,shucked and kernels cut off the cob 

1 jalapeño,seeded and finely diced 

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/2 red onion, finely diced 

1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed well 

1 red bell pepper, finely diced 

1 lime, juiced 

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 

1 tablespoon chopped parsley 

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

RED PEPPER COULIS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

1/2 onion,sliced thinly 

1 clove garlic, crushed 

3 red bell peppers, cored,seeded, deveined and thinly sliced 

1 pinch smoked paprika

 5 drops hot sauce,such as Tabasco 

1/2 lemon, juiced 

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

CHICKEN PAILLARD

4 chicken breasts 

olive oil, for drizzling 

2 lemons, 1 zested and 1 cut into wedges 

2 cups arugula 

2 tablespoons mustard seeds, bloomed in white wine vinegar 

FOR THE CORN SALAD: 

1. In a medium sauté pan set over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy; drain. 

2. Remove excess bacon fat from the pan and add the corn. Sauté until slightly softened. 

3. In a bowl, combine the corn with the bacon, jalapeño, cherry tomatoes, red onion, black beans, red bell pepper, lime juice, chopped parsley and cilantro. Season to taste. 

FOR THE RED PEPPER COULIS: 

Warm the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the red onion, garlic and pepper to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are tender but not browned, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Then, pass the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the smoked paprika, hot sauce and juice of half a lemon. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. 

FOR THE CHICKEN PAILLARD: 

1. Butterfly the chicken breast, but do not cut it all the way through. Score the top of the chicken lightly and lay it between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, lightly pound the chicken until it is about 1/4-inch thick and has a circular shape. Using an 8-inch plate,shape each paillard into a circle and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill grates. 

3. Brush each paillard with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Remove from the heat and finish with some lemon zest over the top. 

TO SERVE: 

1. Place each paillard in the center of a dinner plate and drizzle red pepper coulis over the top. 

2. Lay the corn salad in a line over one side of the chicken and top it with a line of arugula. 

3. Sprinkle some mustard seeds over the top and serve each paillard with a lemon wedge.