Chicken and Creamed Spinach

Print Recipe

Crispy chicken on a bed of gorgeously, creamy spinach - this truly is what dinners are made of!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £5 / $6

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Tongs
Cling Film & Rolling Pin (for pounding chicken)
3 Large Shallow Dishes (for dredging chicken)
Wire Rack & Kitchen Roll/Paper Towel (for resting chicken)

Ingredients

Chicken

1x large Chicken Breast (300g/10.5oz)
1/2 tsp EACH: Salt, Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp EACH: Black Pepper, Paprika, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
2 tbsp Plain Flour
1 large Egg, beaten
45g / 3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
120ml / 1/2 cup Veg Oil, or as needed for frying

Creamed Spinach

200g / 7oz Baby Spinach (see notes)
2 tbsp Butter
1 Echalion, finely diced (sub 2x small regular shallots)
2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
160ml / 2/3 cup Double/Heavy Cream
20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/8 tsp EACH: Ground Nutmeg, White Pepper, Salt, or to taste

To serve

sprinkling of Parmesan
2 Lemon Wedges, optional (see notes)

Instructions

Creamed Spinach

Add a light drizzle of oil to a large pan (or use oil spray) over medium heat then add the spinach (you may need to work in two batches). Use a wooden spoon to press down, then begin stirring until the spinach has wilted. Remove and place in a bowl to one side, then use a fork to press down on the spinach and squeeze out as much excess water as possible over the sink.
Melt the butter into the pan then add the shallots. Fry until soft and golden, then add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds or so. Pour in the cream then stir in the parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer and stir for a couple of minutes until everything thickens, then stir in the spinach. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. The sauce might be a little thick at the start, but the spinach should thin it back out again.

Chicken

Horizontally slice the chicken breast right through the centre to make 2 even-sized breasts. Lay a sheet of cling film over and use a rolling pin, mallet or heavy pan to pound the thick part to even thickness (don't go overboard or the chicken will break apart).
In a small bowl combine all of the chicken seasoning.
Line up 3 large shallow dishes: first with flour + half of the seasoning mix, second with beaten egg and third with Panko + the rest of the seasoning mix. One by one, dredge the chicken through the flour, into the egg, then in the Panko, ensuring you thoroughly coat it at each stage. Give it a gentle shake then place to one side.
Add enough oil to comfortably coat the base of a large pan and place it over medium-high heat. Once hot (a crumb should rapidly sizzle - 180C/350F to be accurate) add both pieces of chicken and fry both sides for 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy. Timings will depend on how thick the chicken is (safe internal temp is 74C/165F for reference). Place on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to catch excess oil.

Serving

Spoon the creamed spinach onto a large plate then place the crispy chicken on top. Add a squeeze of lemon juice if you want to, then dust over some extra parmesan. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Cooking order - I typically prep the chicken up until just before frying, then make the creamed spinach, clean out the pan and do the chicken. You can do the chicken first if you'd prefer, or even use two pans at the same time.

b) Spinach - I know this seems like a huge amount of spinach, but it wilts down A LOT. Just another reminder to squeeze out excess moisture after it's fried, otherwise the cream will end up watery.

c) Lemon - The spinach is obviously quite rich, so you might find it nice to squeeze a little lemon juice over the chicken to balance everything out. It's completely optional, so just work to your personal taste.

d) Calories - Whole recipe divided by two, assuming 1 tbsp oil soaked up per breast. Slight overestimate as not all the flour/Panko is used.

Nutrition