So, your date is coming over? It’s already 6pm and you are still trying to find a dish that you can make fast and easy, and you want it to seem somewhat romantic and impressive too? This is when you can think about Chicken Florentine. It is a simple 30-minute meal that provides comfort at its finest. Tender and juicy chicken breast simmered with creamy spinach sauce, it is perfectly served with steamed veggies, over a sauteed kale bed, or tossed with pasta.
Why Chicken Florentine is Ideal for First Dates?
Almost anyone can light up some candles and set a romantic mood with some erotic music. But if you want to wow your date with your delicious cooking skills, then you can never go wrong with Chicken Florentine. Since the chicken and the sauce can cook in a single pan, it takes the mess and stresses off, leaving you free to spend more time with your partner. You may also add some white wine to it to give it an extra flavor. So, if you are looking forward to welcoming your significant other with your skills, take a deep breath, do a tequila shot, and go through this delicious recipe that you can quickly cook.
Follow This Recipe
First of all, it’s important to know how to make Chicken Florentine. So, here’s the recipe.
Ingredients for Chicken Florentine
For chicken:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ tbsp corn starch
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp light butter
For Sauce:
- 1 finely chopped shallot
- 1 tbsp light butter
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 4 cups roughly chopped baby spinach
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock (unsalted)
- 4 oz cream cheese, made soft at room temperature
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
For Garnishing:
- Dried parsley
- Parmesan cheese (freshly shaved)
Instructions for Chicken Florentine:
- Heat a non-stick skillet with 2 tbsp of butter.
- Let the butter melt
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on each chicken breast and coat on both sides with cornstarch.
- Add chicken breasts to the melted butter and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until brown.
- Remove to a plate.
- Wipe the pan to make a white sauce, and don’t wipe it to get a tannish brown color. The choice is yours.
- Add 1 tbsp butter to the pan, let it melt, and then add the shallots. Cook for 1-2 minutes until translucent.
- Add garlic and let it cook until fragrant.
- Pour the chicken stock, bring to boil, and let it cook until reduced to a third.
- Add half and half, mix properly, and simmer to let it thicken.
- Mix spinach and let it cook until wilted.
- Add cream cheese and keep stirring until the cream cheese melts.
- Season with parsley.
- Let it simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken breasts back to the pan.
- Garnish with parsley and shaved parmesan cheese.
How to Serve Chicken Florentine?
To impress your date, you can serve Chicken Florentine in many ways. Here are a few:
- You may serve the Chicken Florentine with steamed rice. Once your dish is ready, add some rice to it to quickly it in the same skillet. If you want to cook the rice separately, you may use either white rice or brown rice as per your and your partner’s preference.
- Chicken Florentine also goes well with thin and long pasta like spaghetti pasta or angel hair pasta. Just toss some pasta in the skillet and serve along. You may also use cauliflower rice or zoodles for a low-carb variation of the dish.
- The dish tastes best with blistered tomatoes as well. For this, heat a non-stick pan and add 1 tbsp of olive oil to it. Once hot, add 1 cup blistered tomatoes to it and let them cook until the skin starts wrinkling or blistering.
Tips for a Perfect Chicken Florentine
Your date can go entirely wrong and the moods may get spoiled if the dish does not come out well. To avoid any mistakes and to make a perfect dish, here are a few tips you can keep in mind.
- The recipe works best with fresh baby spinach, but if you are using frozen, thaw it fully before starting cooking.
- You may substitute half and half with whole milk or heavy cream.
- The key to making perfect Chicken Florentine is to coat the chicken breasts properly in corn starch. It helps in searing the outside of the chicken while locking in the juices and flavors petty well. As a result, you get juicy chicken breasts each time. If corn starch is not available, you may also use arrowroot or flour.
- Add salt only after adding cream, cheese, spinach, and stock. These ingredients already have salt in them and you should add more salt only after checking the requirement.
So, now do you understand why Chicken Florentine is a great food to make on your first date? It is easy to make, it is flavorful, it can be made in a single pan, and it helps you show off your cooking skills without much effort. So, try it out and see your partner’s reaction!
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