Chicken Florentine
Herby chicken cutlets in a silky, béchamel sauce with Parmesan, garlic, white wine, and a full bag of spinach. This one pan dish takes only 35 minutes to assemble!
Servings: 6
Calories: 337.1kcal
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 3 large or 4 to 6 small)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese, divided (3 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large shallot, minced or 1 medium onion, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon, either granules or paste (optional)
- 1 8 ounce bag baby spinach
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. If using large chicken breasts, place one on a large cutting board and slice through it horizontally with a sharp knife to yield two cutlets. Cut the remaining breasts the same way.Season both sides of the cutlets with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Dredge the chicken. Season both sides of the cutlets with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix together the flour and 1/3 cup (1 ounce) finely grated Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Working with one cutlet at a time, dip it in the flour-cheese mixture, taking care to coat it on all sides. Shake off the excess, set aside, and repeat with remaining cutlets. Measure three tablespoons of the remaining flour mixture and discard the rest.
- Sear the chicken. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed sauté or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter. When the oil and butter are hot and beginning to brown, lay 2 or 3 cutlets into the pan—as many as will fit comfortably without crowding. Cook for 3 minutes, until browned on the bottom, then carefully turn them over with tongs and brown the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. The cutlets should be golden. If they are browning too quickly, turn down the heat. Once browned, transfer the cutlets to a plate.
- Sauté the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium. Add the shallot or onion to the remaining olive oil in the pan and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, another minute. Add the reserved flour mixture and stir until it no longer appears dry and smells nutty and toasted, about a minute.
- Deglaze the pan. Add the wine to the pan, stirring and scraping to release the fond. Continue to cook, stirring, until the wine has almost completely evaporated, 2 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and chicken bouillon.
- Make the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and pour the milk mixture into the pan, as well as any juices that have accumulated on the plate of chicken. Simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until thickened to the texture of heavy cream and mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper.
- Add the spinach. Add the spinach and the remaining 2/3 cup (2 ounces) Parmesan to the pan and stir into the sauce. Cover and cook until the spinach is bright green and tender, about 1 minute.
- Finish and serve. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for a minute or two, until cooked through and registering 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Serve with sauce spooned over top of each cutlet. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and more grated Parmesan, if you like.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil used in this recipe.
- To use frozen spinach: Feel free to use a 10-ounce bag of frozen spinach in place of fresh. Defrost it first and squeeze out as much water as you can before adding it so it doesn’t make the sauce watery.
- How to Store Chicken Florentine:
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm gently in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce, if necessary.
- Freezing: Sometimes cream-based sauces suffer in the freezer, but I have frozen this recipe for at least 2 months and reheated it without issue!
Nutrition
Calories: 337.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.6g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 15.9g | Saturated Fat: 6.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 96.3mg | Sodium: 672.5mg | Potassium: 574.5mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3.7g | Vitamin A: 343.8IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 291.5mg | Iron: 1.2mg