WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Legend has it that in the 16th century, Catherine de’ Medici, of the influential Medici family of Florence, brought a cadre of Florentine cooks to France with her when she married King Henry II. It is also said that spinach was her favorite vegetable, and the dishes that her cooks created for her in France were the origins of the culinary term “Florentine” or “à la Florentine” in relation to dishes featuring spinach. So, to honor this history and restore chicken Florentine to its elegant roots, we started with fresh spinach. To prevent the water from the spinach from washing out the other flavors in the dish, we drained excess liquid from the cooked spinach by pressing the leaves with the back of a spoon in a colander. For flavor, we seared the chicken breasts first and then poached them in the sauce before broiling. We used cream to make the sauce silky and built volume with equal amounts of chicken broth and water. We also added a squeeze of lemon juice and a hit of zest, along with Parmesan cheese for its nutty, savory punch. You will need a broiler-safe dish for this recipe.
SERVES: 4
TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 ounces (12 cups) baby spinach
- 4 (6-to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1¼ cups chicken broth
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
- COOK THE SPINACH
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer spinach to colander to drain and let cool slightly.
- Once cool enough to handle, transfer spinach to clean dish towel, wrap towel tightly around spinach to form ball, and wring until dry; set aside.
- COOK THE CHICKEN:
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Wipe skillet dry with paper towels.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.
- Add chicken and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Add shallot and garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in broth, water, and cream and bring to boil.
- SIMMER THE CHICKEN SAUCE:
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to plate and tent with aluminum foil.
- Continue to simmer sauce until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in ¼ cup Parmesan and lemon zest and juice.
- ASSEMBLE AND BROIL:
- Slice chicken crosswise ½ inch thick and arrange in broiler-safe dish.
- Scatter spinach over chicken and pour sauce over spinach.
- Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan and broil until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve.
