Chicken with Spinach, Potatoes and Lemon Sauce

Serves

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For cooking the potatoes

1 pound fingerling potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, and submerged in cold water

1 tablespoon salt

For the chicken brine

1500 ml water

3 tablespoons salt

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

4 (6-to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed

For the sauce

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried

3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach

To serve

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese, see notes

Directions

1. Cook the potatoes. Cut the unpeeled potatoes lengthwise, and place them in cold water to prevent them from oxidizing. Add the potatoes to a pot and fill with water until covered by an inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt and add the potatoes. Place the pot over high heat, and once the water boils, bring the temperature down to medium and simmer the potatoes until they are cooked. Avoid stirring the potatoes while they cook. The potatoes are cooked when they slide off a skewer and they're creamy when pressed with a fork or a knife. Let a piece cool down on a plate and then taste it to make sure it has the right consistency. Remove from the water and set aside. 

2. Brine the chicken. Add the salt and sugar to the water and stir until dissolved. Add the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

3. Pan-fry the chicken. Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 3 tablespoons of light-flavored olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until browned and registers 160 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with aluminum foil.

3. Caramelize the potatoes. Add potatoes, flat sides down, to the now empty skillet, and cook until this side caramelizes to a golden brown. Avoid over-crowding the skillet to prevent the potatoes from boiling and thus not caramelizing --water is the enemy of caramelization. Season lightly with Kosher salt and pepper to build flavor.

4. Make the sauce.  Add butter, and garlic to the potatoes mix, and stir. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add the lemon juice, thyme, and freshly squeezed pepper. Stir well to infuse the flavors in the potatoes.  Add the spinach and cover the skillet until the spinach is just wilted. Stir to combine.

5. Assemble in a platter. Transfer the potato mixture to a platter, top with the chicken, and drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve.

Notes

• The goat cheese is the secret ingredient of this recipe and it's not optional.

• Brining the chicken is optional. If not brining, season well with Kosher salt and finely ground pepper.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen