Chicken With Pan Sauce and Wilted Spinach

Step 1

1 Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees

Step 2

2 Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt

Step 3

3 (If you have time, season them up to 1 hour before cooking — or the night before, and refrigerate until ready to cook

Step 4

4 )

Step 5

5 In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it just begins to smoke

Step 6

6 Pat the chicken dry and gently lower each piece into the pan, skin side down, dropping it away from you so hot oil does not splash toward you

Step 7

7 Cook the chicken until the skin is deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip and add the thyme to the pan

Step 8

8 (If the skin sticks, the chicken isn’t ready to flip; give it another 1 to 2 minutes and it will loosen on its own

Step 9

9 )

Step 10

10 Continue cooking until the chicken is firm and barely pink in the center, about 4 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140 degrees

Step 11

11 Transfer the chicken to a oven-safe pan, season with pepper and let it rest in the warm oven while you make the sauce

Step 12

12 Add the wine to the pan, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan

Step 13

13 Increase the heat to high and boil the wine until it has almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes

Step 14

14 Add the broth and boil until it has reduced by half, about 3 minutes

Step 15

15 Whisk in the butter, letting it gently melt into the sauce

Step 16

16 The sauce is ready when it has thickened; it should coat the back of a spoon, and when you trace a trail with your fingertip across the back, the trail should hold its shape without dripping

Step 17

17 Decrease the heat to medium, and pour the sauce into a small bowl and keep warm

Step 18

18 In the same skillet, wilt the spinach

Step 19

19 Season it with a pinch of salt, and stir until it releases its moisture and turns silky and soft, about 2 minutes

Step 20

20 Remove from heat

Step 21

21 Transfer the chicken, which should now have an internal temp of 165 degrees, to individual plates, and add a spoonful of spinach to each plate

Step 22

22 Spoon the sauce over the top and serve

Step 23

23 Correction: An earlier version of this story omitted a placing the chicken in an oven to continue cooking

Step 24

24 The recipe has been updated

Step 25

25 Because of technical issues, the nutritional analysis for this recipe is unavailable

Step 26

26 We will add that information as soon as possible