Ingredients: |
Ingredients:
Why This Recipe Works
Using fresh spinach rather than frozen for this recipe for two allowed us to control the amount of water in the sauce, which could wash out flavor. We first cooked the spinach until it was wilted and then let it drain to remove excess liquid. We browned the chicken in the skillet before transferring it to a plate so that we could reuse the skillet to build a flavorful yet quick sauce. Adding the cooked spinach and any accumulated chicken juices back to the sauce warmed the spinach through and added more chicken flavor to the sauce. We topped the chicken with this flavorful spinach mixture, as well as some Parmesan cheese for an added salty punch.
2 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces (6 cups) baby spinach
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
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Directions: |
Directions:Draining the wilted spinach in a colander rids it of excess moisture that would water down the sauce.
1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to even 1/2-inch thickness. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spinach and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer spinach to colander set in sink and allow any excess liquid to drain off. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Cook until chicken is golden brown and registers 160 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate and tent with aluminum foil.
4. Add shallot and garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in broth and cream, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Cook until reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan and lemon zest and juice.
5. Transfer chicken to individual plates and stir any accumulated chicken juices into sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Stir spinach into sauce to warm through. Top chicken with spinach and sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Serve.
Backstory
Why do we use the term “Florentine” to describe dishes that feature spinach (eggs Florentine and chicken Florentine quickly come to mind)? Legend suggests it’s a carryover from the 16th century, when Catherine de’ Medici, an Italian noblewoman from Florence, married Henry II of France and moved to Paris. There, she overhauled the royal kitchen, installing her own Italian cooks and refining the traditional court menus to suit her tastes.
Among Catherine’s favorite ingredients was spinach. Though it was already widely used in France, she heightened its popularity, and many spinach-based dishes have since been named “Florentine” to indicate Catherine’s, and Florence’s, influence. |
This recipe for Chicken Florintine for Two is from