Roasted Whole Chicken Breasts With Green Stuffing

Ingredients

• 3 whole chicken breasts, not split (preferably organic)
• 1 lb baby spinach, stemmed and washed
• 1 head garlic
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 cup fresh basil leaf, stemmed and washed
• 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup sweet butter
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 2 lbs red potatoes
• 1/2 lb shiitake mushroom, cleaned and woody stems removed,thinly sliced
• 1/2-1 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare medium sized roasting pan with rack by coating rack with olive oil (should be a roasting pan no larger than necessary to hold the three breasts and that can be placed on top of the stove for making the sauce)

2. 2

   Peel and roughly chop 4 cloves of garlic

3. 3

   Roughly chop spinach

4. 4

   Tear basil into small pieces

5. 5

   Place large skillet over high heat

6. 6

   When hot, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, spinach and basil

7. 7

   Grate fresh nutmeg into skillet

8. 8

   Stir fry until greeens are wilted and soft

9. 9

   Remove from heat and set aside to cool

10. 10

    Clean chicken breasts and remove any obvious clumps of fat or protruding skin

11. 11

    Preheat oven to 425°F

12. 12

    With your fingers, gently loosen skin from flesh of the chicken breasts

13. 13

    Again, gently, stuff greens mixture between the skin and the flesh of the breasts

14. 14

    Massage the surface of the breasts to evenly distribute the stuffing

15. 15

    Cut each lemon in half lengthwise (stem to end)

16. 16

    Rub the outside of the chicken breasts with butter

17. 17

    Squeeze the juice of one half of one lemon over the breasts and sprinkle the breasts with salt and pepper

18. 18

    Split the whole head of garlic into cloves; do not peel

19. 19

    Scatter the garlic gloves in the bottom of the roasting pan

20. 20

    Scrub potatoes; do not peel

21. 21

    If very small, leave whole; if larger, cut in half

22. 22

    Scatter potatoes in the bottom of the roasting pan

23. 23

    Place the three whole breasts, skin side down, on the oiled rack

24. 24

    Place a lemon half in the cavity of each breast

25. 25

    Roast 20 minutes

26. 26

    Baste with a third of the white wine

27. 27

    Carefully (without tearing the skin of the breast if possible) turn breast skin side up, placing lemon in cavity beneath each breast

28. 28

    Baste with pan juices

29. 29

    Roast another 20 minutes

30. 30

    Turn oven down to 375°F

31. 31

    Baste with pan juices; if there is not sufficient liquid in the pan, add more white wine and/or water

32. 32

    Roast another 10-12 minutes

33. 33

    Check for doneness

34. 34

    Remove from oven; tent with foil and allow to rest for at least ten to fifteen minutes

35. 35

    Remove excess fat from pan (there should be very little)

36. 36

    Remove potatoes and keep warm

37. 37

    Remove garlic cloves and squeeze out roasted garlic into the roasting pan

38. 38

    Place pan on stovetop over medium heat

39. 39

    Add mushrooms and allow to saute without stirring for 1 - 2 minutes

40. 40

    Turn mushrooms and saute another minute

41. 41

    Turn heat to high and add remaining wine and 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken broth

42. 42

    Scrape to deglaze and simmer until slightly reduced

43. 43

    Taste for seasoning

44. 44

    (Optional) Whisk in 1 - 2 Tablespoons of butter

45. 45

    Note: This is lovely served on a bed of steamed fresh spinach