Creamy Florentine Chicken with Velvety Mornay Sauce
vxdaElevate your weeknight dinner or impress your guests with this elegant take on Chicken Florentine. Featuring succulent chicken breasts, perfectly crusted in a Parmesan coating, nestled over vibrant, sautéed spinach, and luxuriously bathed in a homemade Mornay sauce. This dish is a symphony of rich, cheesy flavors designed to delight.
Ingredients
Béchamel Base
- 1 pcs shallot
- 1 pcs bay leaf
- 1 pcs clove
- 960 ml whole milk
Roux
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
Béchamel Perfection
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
Mornay Sauce
- 112 g gruyère cheese — grated
- 56 g parmigiano reggiano cheese — finely grated
Florentine-Style Chicken
- 2 pcs boneless, skinless chicken breasts — approx. 340-390g each, sliced in half width-wise
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese — finely grated
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning blend — optional
- 1 pcs shallot — small diced
- 2 pcs garlic cloves — smashed and finely minced
- 1 pinch cooking oil — enough to coat pan
- 227 g baby spinach
- ¼ cup dry white wine — Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio
Steamed Potatoes (Steamed Buttered Potatoes)
- 1 ⅓ kg baby potatoes — any color
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch fresh chives — thinly sliced, optional
Instructions
Béchamel Base
- 1
Peel one shallot. Make a 2.5 cm wide and 1-2.5 cm deep incision into the middle of the shallot.
- 2
Insert one bay leaf into the incision until secure, then press one clove next to it into the shallot.
- 3
Place the prepared shallot into a 3-4 liter pot along with 960 ml of whole milk.
- 4
Scald the milk over low to medium heat. Look for small bubbles collecting and appearing to stick to the bottom of the pan, or use a thermometer to reach 82°C.
Roux
- 1
In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tbsp of unsalted butter over low heat.
- 2
Whisk in 4.5 tbsp of all-purpose flour. Cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes, ensuring it remains a white roux to maintain a consistent color for the béchamel.
Béchamel Completion
- 1
Add the roux to the scalded milk in the pot, whisking gently.
- 2
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil to activate the roux.
- 3
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes, whisking occasionally, to remove the starchy raw flour taste.
- 4
Finish the béchamel with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and season with salt and ground white pepper.
- 5
Strain the sauce through a chinois or fine mesh strainer. Check consistency: it should coat the back of a spoon, and a finger drawn through it should leave a clear path.
Mornay Sauce
- 1
Grate 112 grams of Gruyère cheese and 56 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- 2
Over low heat, gradually whisk the grated cheese into the béchamel sauce, one handful at a time, until completely combined, silky, and smooth.
- 3
Turn off the heat and taste the sauce, adjusting seasoning if needed.
Chicken Preparation
- 1
Take two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 340-390 grams each).
- 2
Carefully slice each chicken breast in half width-wise.
- 3
In a shallow bowl or cake tin, combine 0.5 cup all-purpose flour, 0.33 cup finely grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Optionally, add 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning.
- 4
Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- 5
Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, pressing firmly to ensure an even coating.
- 6
Set the coated chicken breasts aside on a plate for a few minutes to allow the coating to adhere.
- 7
Peel and small dice one shallot. Smash and finely mince two whole garlic cloves.
Cooking Chicken and Sautéing Spinach
- 1
Add enough oil to coat the bottom of a large stainless steel pan and heat to medium-medium high.
- 2
Add the chicken to the hot pan, ensuring not to overcrowd it, and sear for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
- 3
Remove the cooked chicken and set aside on a plate.
- 4
In the same pan, add the diced shallots and minced garlic, along with a gentle seasoning of salt. Sauté for 20-30 seconds until the edges are lightly browned.
- 5
Immediately add 227 grams of baby spinach and a season of salt. Sauté quickly until about half the spinach is wilted.
- 6
Deglaze the pan with 0.25-0.33 cup of dry white wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio).
- 7
Add all the prepared Mornay sauce to the pan with the spinach. Fold everything together and taste to adjust seasoning.
Steamed Buttered Potatoes (Pommes Vapeur)
- 1
In a pot, add enough water to be just below the bottom of a steamer basket. Heat to medium and cover.
- 2
Take 1.4 kg of baby potatoes. Using a peeler or paring knife, remove a strip of peeling from the center of each potato.
- 3
Once the water is hot, add the potatoes to the steamer basket, cover, and steam for 20-25 minutes.
- 4
With about 2 minutes left on the potatoes, melt 4-5 tbsp of unsalted butter in a large pan over low heat. Swirl the butter to keep it emulsified.
- 5
Add the steamed potatoes directly to the pan with the melted butter. Swirl to coat, then season well with salt and pepper.
- 6
Optionally, finish with some thinly sliced fresh chives.
Assembly
- 1
Serve the steamed buttered potatoes in a bowl, drizzled with any remaining butter and topped with chives.
- 2
Place the cooked chicken on a plate, then spoon a generous amount of the Mornay and spinach mixture over or alongside it. Alternatively, set the chicken directly into the sauce in the pan for serving.