Up until I started checking facts for this blog, I thought ‘Florentine’ was anything with spinach in it. I guess if I had thought about it, I could’ve told you that a la Florentine was named after something in Florence, Italy!
Well, the story goes that Catherine de Medici introduced the French court to spinach. It was usually eggs, fish or chicken paired with spinach and a mornay sauce. (I should note that every single article that mentioned this story also mentioned that there is no way to prove that it’s actually true.) In any case, she wanted to honor Florence, Italy and so any dish with spinach in it became ‘a la Florentine.’
I love spinach so when I saw this recipe in my Cooking Pleasures magazine, I had to try it. I give it rave reviews and now I have to share it! I hope you thoroughly enjoy it–let me know how it turns out!
You will need:
6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use fresh parmesan cheese for this.)
1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh basil (You can also use dried.)
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
3 tablespoons of butter
2 green onions
1 teaspoon of minced garlic (Again, I use fresh garlic.)
1 tbsp of flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of milk
1 tbsp of sherry
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness. (I know this is crude, but I always put mine in a Ziploc bag and use a hammer.) In a large Ziploc bag, combine the Parmesan cheese, basil and oregano. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
Cook chicken in 2 tablespoons of butter until juices run clear–about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm.
In the same skillet, sauté onions and garlic in the remaining butter for 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Add flour and salt very slowly. Stir in milk and sherry until the sauce is well blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the spinach. Heat through.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Spoon over chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
This is an excellent dish to serve over fettuccine!
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