America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Chicken Florentine for Two

By Alli Berkey

Published on April 18, 2017

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 2

Chicken Florentine for Two

Ingredients

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, minced1 garlic clove, minced½ cup chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice

Before You Begin

Draining the wilted spinach in a colander rids it of excess moisture that would water down the sauce.

Instructions

  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.
Chicken Florentine for Two
Photography by Joe Keller. Styling by catrine Kelty.

Chicken Florentine for Two

Save

Time

1 hour

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

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

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

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

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

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

Test Kitchen Techniques

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.

Before You Begin

Draining the wilted spinach in a colander rids it of excess moisture that would water down the sauce.

Instructions

  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.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.