Chicken & Spinach, redux

I’m always looking for suggestions on how to cook everyday ingredients in another unexpected way.

Here are two such recipes for chicken and spinach – two simple and classic dinner choices.

For the chicken you will need:

• 4 chicken breast fillets
• approx 3 tablespoons cream +
• salt, pepper, herbs, to taste – I made a bouquet garni of parsley, thyme and a few small bay leaves.
• butter (for pan)
• deep wok-like pan

What you are going to do is shallow poach the chicken in the cream. Since the chicken breasts are very lean, you have to be careful to keep them moist and not overcooked.

1. Heat pan at medium-high heat. Add butter.

2. Season & sear chicken lightly on both sides – t0 ‘seal’ almost like when cooking a steak.

3. Pour in the cream – not too much but so that there is enough bubbling up over the chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low.

4. Watch carefully as this cooks  – until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 F (about 71 C).

5. Strain the chicken, which should be juicy and moist. If you want, you can continue to cook down the cream and butter in a lighter version of a beurre blanc.

For the spinach you will need:

• juice of 1 half lemon
• large package fresh spinach
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 3 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• fleur de sel

1. Heat up oil in large pan.

2. Pan-fry pine nuts until golden. They will smell fantastic as the oils inside the nuts release and roast.

3. Add in finely chopped garlic.

4. Add spinach gradually and mix in pan  – it will look like a lot of spinach but it has a fantastic ability to wilt and cook down.

5.  As the spinach starts to turn bright green and wilting in the pan, season it with a pinch of sea salt and the lemon juice.

Serve alongside or on top of the chicken.