Chicken Florentine Wrapped in Pastry
Chicken Florentine wrapped in flaky puff pastry: browned chicken breast layered with Dijon and nutmeg-spiced spinach, then baked golden in individual parcels. An elegant chicken Wellington-style main.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsThis is the dish to make when you want to impress without much fuss, an elegant cousin to chicken Wellington. Pounded chicken breast gets floured and browned, then tucked with mustard and spinach inside flaky puff pastry and baked until deep golden.
The Florentine part is the spinach, cooked briefly with a good hit of nutmeg, the warm spice that has paired with spinach since the dish was named for Florence. A smear of Dijon underneath cuts the richness and seasons the chicken.
The keys to crisp pastry are simple: chill the browned chicken before wrapping so it doesn’t melt the dough, and squeeze the spinach bone dry so no moisture seeps in. Sealed into parcels and brushed with egg, the pastry puffs up shatteringly crisp around the tender chicken inside.
Pro Tips
- Pound the chicken to an even quarter inch so it cooks through in the same time the pastry takes to brown.
- Chill the browned chicken before wrapping; warm filling melts the butter in the pastry and turns it greasy and soggy.
- Drain and squeeze the spinach as dry as you can, since excess water is the enemy of crisp pastry.
- Press the pastry edges firmly and brush all over with egg wash for a tight seal and a glossy, golden finish.
Variations
- Add a slice of Swiss, gruyere, or a spoon of cream cheese with the spinach.
- Tuck in some sauteed mushrooms for a more classic Wellington feel.
- Swap the Dijon for whole-grain or honey mustard.
Ingredients
Directions
Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature 30 minutes. Mix egg and water. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400?F. Between 2 sheets of waxed paper pound chicken to ¼ inch thickness.
Cut breast halves in half. Coat chicken with flour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil.
Add chicken and cook until browned. Set chicken aside. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
In same pan mix spinach and nutmeg. Cook 5 minutes. Set aside.
Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll each sheet into 14-inch square and cut into 4 (7-inch) squares. Place chicken in center of 4 squares.
Spread with 1 teaspoon mustard and top with about ¼ cup spinach mixture.
Brush edges with egg mixture. Top each with another pastry square.
Press edges of pastry to seal. Brush with egg mixture. Place on baking sheet.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden.
Comments
The spinach should be creamed spinach, made with bacon bits. This recipe would also be good topped with hollandaise sauce.