Popular de Aux Fines Herbs (Baked Chicken with Herbs)
This aromatic recipe is a superb example of how a master chef combines herbs, greens and wine with chicken.
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breast halves, boned
- 1/4 C butter or margarine, melted
- 1 1/2 lb fresh spinach, stems removed
- Dry white wine
- 2 C chicken stock
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 2 C whipping cream
- Few leaves fresh sorrel
- 6 fresh tarragon sprigs
- 6 to 7 fresh basil leaves
- Salt, pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken in baking dish with melted butter, turning to coat pieces.
- Bake at 375F 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
- Meanwhile, wash spinach leaves and pat dry with paper towels.
- Combine 2 cups wine, chicken stock and shallots in wide saucepan or skillet.
- Bring to boil over medium heat and boil until liquid is reduced to one-fourth original amount.
- Stir in cream and simmer until sauce thickens to consistency that will coat wooden spoon, about 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken from baking dish, discard fat and deglaze dish with 1 tablespoon white wine, scraping to loosen browned bits.
- Add to cream sauce and blend.
- Drop spinach leaves, sorrel, tarragon and basil into sauce.
- Bring to boil and boil briefly, stirring gently.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove greens from sauce and divide into 4 mounds on serving platter.
- Remove skin from chicken breasts.
- Place each piece of chicken on 1 spinach mound.
- Spoon sauce over.