Creamy Tuscan Chicken

📝 Ingredients

• 600 g chicken breast (3 fillets of about 200 g each)
• 300 g basmati rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 250 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 chicken stock cube + 150 ml hot water
• 200 ml light cream 15%
• 40 g grated Parmesan
• 100 g baby spinach
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large sauté pan
• Saucepan
• Colander
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Spatula

📖 Steps

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs almost clear, so it doesn't stick. Cook it for 10 to 12 min at a gentle boil, drain and keep covered.
2. Meanwhile, lay each chicken breast flat and slice it in half horizontally to get 6 thin, even escalopes: they will cook quickly and stay tender. Season with salt and pepper and rub with oregano on both sides.
3. Heat the olive oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the escalopes for 3 to 4 min per side without moving them, in two batches if they overlap, until well browned and no longer pink in the centre. Set aside on a plate with their juices.
4. Lower to medium heat. In the same pan, without washing it (the golden bits give the sauce its flavour), fry the peeled and chopped garlic for 30 seconds, stirring, without letting it colour. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 min.
5. Dissolve the stock cube and tomato purée in the hot water, pour into the pan and scrape the bottom with the spatula to loosen the browned bits. Add the light cream and simmer gently for 3 to 4 min, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
6. Stir in the parmesan until melted, then add the baby spinach a handful at a time: it wilts in about 1 min. Taste before adding salt, as the parmesan and stock already bring salt.
7. Return the escalopes and their juices to the pan, spoon the sauce over them and heat through for 2 to 3 min over low heat. Do not let it boil: the light cream could split and the chicken dry out.
8. Serve immediately over the rice, one and a half escalopes per person, generously coated in sauce, tomatoes and spinach. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge and reheat gently in a covered frying pan.