Creamy Tuscan chicken
This recipe creates a rich and creamy Tuscan chicken dish featuring pan-seared chicken breasts coated in a spiced flour mixture. It's then simmered in a luscious sauce with sundried tomatoes, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, double cream, and Parmesan, finished with fresh spinach and parsley. It's a comforting and flavorful main course, best served with rice or pasta.
Equipment
- 1 Large Frying Pan or Skillet Preferably oven-safe if finishing in the oven
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Tongs For handling chicken
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Chopping Board
Ingredients
Main
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp oregano
- 4 skin-on chicken breasts
- 80 g sundried tomatoes chopped, plus 1 tbsp oil from the jar (or use olive oil)
- 4 garlic cloves finely grated or crushed
- 125 ml white wine
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 200 g spinach
- 150 ml double cream
- 75 g grated parmesan
- cooked rice to serve
- small handful of parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, combine the plain flour, smoked paprika, and oregano. Dredge the chicken breasts thoroughly in this mixture, ensuring an even coating.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil from the sundried tomato jar (or olive oil) in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down and sear for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the finely grated garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes to the same pan, cooking for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Stir in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Return the seared chicken breasts to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C).
- Remove the chicken from the pan once cooked. Stir in the double cream and grated Parmesan cheese into the sauce. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly. Do not boil vigorously to prevent curdling.
- Add the fresh spinach to the sauce, stirring until it just wilts, which should take about 1-2 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken breasts to the pan, coating them well with the creamy Tuscan sauce. Heat through briefly for a minute.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with cooked rice.
Notes
1. For truly crispy skin, ensure the pan is hot enough before searing and pat the chicken breasts dry. Render the fat thoroughly on the skin side. 2. When adding the cream and Parmesan, lower the heat significantly or remove the pan from the heat momentarily to prevent curdling, especially with the Parmesan. Stir constantly until smooth. 3. Avoid overcooking the spinach; it wilts quickly and retains best color and texture when added last. 4. The white wine is crucial for deglazing and building depth of flavor; do not skip this step.