Chicken Breasts Florentine

By á-2053

Ingredients

• 4 whole, unsplit boneless chicken breasts with or without the skin
• 3 Tbs. plus 2 Tsp. butter
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped shallots
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 2 10-oz. pkgs. fresh spinach, cooked
• for 5 minutes in 2 cups salted water
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 – 2 Tbs. grated guyere or Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Open the chicken breasts and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold them back together, reshaping the skin. Put 2 tsp. butter in a skillet and add the shallots. Add the breasts, seam side down, then the wine, chicken broth and salt and pepper. Add the parsley and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 15-20 minutes, until breasts are just cooked through. Remove from heat. Drain and reserve all the liquid from the chicken breasts (~1 ½ cups). Keep breasts covered. Heat 2 Tbs. butter in a saucepan, add the flour, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add the reserved liquid to the roux, stirring until thickened and smooth. Simmer 5 minutes and then add the heavy cream and cook ~ 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the yolk, stirring briskly. Preheat the broiler. Drain and dry the spinach well and chop, add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in a skillet, when it starts to brown, add the spinach just to heat through. Spoon the spinach into the center of a heat-proof serving dish. Arrange the chicken breasts seam-side down over the spinach. Spoon the sauce over and sprinkle the cheese on top of the breasts and run under the broiler until bubbling.