Chicken Breast on Bed of Spinach with Mushroom Sauce
Chicken Breasts on Bed of Spinach with Mushroom Sauce is a classic French dish. Panko can be used instead of bread crumbs. As this dish comes together quickly, it is best to prep all ingredients ahead. Serve with buttered noodles or plain rice for a perfect meal. Derived from René Verdon's White House Chef Cookbook - .
Classic French Version.
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 cup flour for dredging
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup white bread crumbs (can substitute Panko)
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 pound spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced (about 1.5 cup)
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
| 1 | Pound chicken breasts with meat mallet to flatten. Squeeze one lemon wedge over each breast piece. Season with salt and white pepper. |
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| 2 | Set out three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, place flour. In second bowl, beat egg with water. In third bowl, combine cheese and bread crumbs. |
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| 3 | Coat one piece of chicken at a time: dredge with flour, shaking off excess. Dip into egg mixture, then into bread crumb mixture. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Place a serving platter in the oven and heat to 200°F. |
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| 4 | Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet and brown chicken, about 5 minutes on each side. |
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| 5 | Meanwhile, steam spinach briefly (about 1 minute); drain. Place spinach on platter in oven, spreading to make a bed for the chicken. |
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| 6 | When chicken is done, put breasts on bed of spinach, turn off oven. |
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| 7 | To the skillet, add remaining butter and sauté mushrooms until tender. Scoot mushrooms to side, and pour chicken stock into skillet, scraping up brown bits. Reduce to 1/4 cup. Pour mushrooms and pan sauce over the chicken. |
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| 8 | Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately. |
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notes
NOTE The classic recipe calls for brown sauce rather than chicken stock for the final item poured over the chicken. We use Better than Bouillon since brown sauce takes a long time to make. Another substitute is to reduce a quarter cup of beef stock to 2 tablespoons.
