Moroccan Spiced Chicken Paillards -African region Recipe

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1/4 Cup orange juice
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick (approx. 3")
• 1/4 Teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Paillards:

• 1/2 Teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 3/4 lb boneless chicken breast slices (approx. 1/4 inch thick)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt


Preparation:

Prepare a large ridged grill pan and start sauce:
Heat grill pan over moderate heat until hot.

Simmer sauce ingredients except butter in a 1-quart saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Set aside while cooking chicken.

Make chicken paillards:
Cook cumin, paprika, and pepper in oil in a small pan over moderate low heat, stirring about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, reserving skillet for sauce (do not clean). If chicken breast slices are not quite 1/4" thick, pound with flat side of meat pounder.

Brush some spiced oil on 1 side of each chicken breast slice, and sprinkle with salt. Arrange 2 chicken breast slices in grill pan, oiled sides down, and brush tops with spiced oil, sprinkle with salt.Grill 2 minutes, then turn over and grill until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil. Grill remaining chicken breast slices.

Complete sauce:
Pour sauce through a medium-mesh sieve into reserved small skillet, discard solids. Add any juices from chicken to sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add butter and swirl skillet until butter is just blended. Season sauce with salt and spoon over chicken.