Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Hey y'all! I modified this recipe from Delish's back when everyone on /r/castiron was making this and it's quite delicious. Hopefully you guys try it out!
Ingredients
Rice
- 1.5 cups rice
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
Chicken & Sauce
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt
- black pepper
- dried oregano
- cayenne pepper
- Kashmiri chili
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb campari tomatoes quartered
- 2 cups spinach
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese grated
Directions
- Start the rice and chicken broth going in a rice cooker or on the stove.
- Cut chicken breasts so that they're generally the same thickness, then season with salt and generous amounts of black pepper, oregano, and just enough cayenne and kashmere chili for a bit of kick.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sear the chicken nicely on both sides for long enough to cook it through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside and melt some butter in your pan and scrape up any fond that formed. Toss in the minced garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Throw in the tomatoes and season with a big pinch of salt and a bunch more black pepper. Keep them moving in the pan until the skin is falling off and the juices have mixed nicely with the sauce forming in the pan, about 3-5 minutes or so.
- Throw in the spinach. You will be worried that everything's gonna fall out of the pan, but just gently keep it moving in the pan. Over the next couple minutes it'll all wilt down and be much more manageable.
- Once the spinach has wilted down, pour in the heavy cream and mix everything together. Once everything's combined, throw in like the parmesan and stir til everything is melted together. Leave it for about 3 minutes or so, then stir again and scrape the bottom as nice crispy sheets of cheese may have formed.
- Add the chicken back in and let everything get to know each other at a low simmer for like 5-8 minutes or so.
- Serve over the rice you started earlier, it should be about ready by now.
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What in the actual fuck is Tuscan about this chicken?
Warm regards from the currently chilly Pisa shoreline.
In the US, Tuscan has come to refer to a certain flavor palette loosely associated with a couple dishes made at the Olive Garden, a chain restaurant that makes Italian American inspired food. There's a specific soup they make that looks and likely tastes like this.
It's no more Tuscan than any Italian American food, much less corporate chain food.
Probably still tastes great though.
Ah, yes! I figured it must have come from somewhere, but American chain restaurant are a quaint mystery to me.
Btw, if anyone is actually interested, the closest thing to a “Zuppa Toscana” is the Ribollita. It’s a essentially a bread soup made with mostly beans and cabbage.
I can’t even call them sand people anymore? Darn political correctness ruining everything.
One often (in these parts) sees dishes with cream and spinach described as Florentine, aka in the style of Florence, which is in Tuscany…
Apart from that tenuous connection, I have no idea. Why not just call it what it is instead of trying to brand it: seared chicken breast with spinach-tomato cream sauce…???
Because that's an incredibly clunky name. I get that it can be frustrating, but we often call thing names that don't really make sense, and it seems like the name Tuscan chicken already has a lot of staying power for this dish. French fries are not from France etc etc
Not a clue, it's just what it's called. Cheers!