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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)
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2
Peel and roughly chop 4 cloves of garlic
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3
Roughly chop spinach
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4
Tear basil into small pieces
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5
Place large skillet over high heat
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6
When hot, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, spinach and basil
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7
Grate fresh nutmeg into skillet
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8
Stir fry until greeens are wilted and soft
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9
Remove from heat and set aside to cool
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10
Clean chicken breasts and remove any obvious clumps of fat or protruding skin
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11
Preheat oven to 425u00b0F
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12
With your fingers, gently loosen skin from flesh of the chicken breasts
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13
Again, gently, stuff greens mixture between the skin and the flesh of the breasts
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14
Massage the surface of the breasts to evenly distribute the stuffing
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15
Cut each lemon in half lengthwise (stem to end)
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16
Rub the outside of the chicken breasts with butter
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17
Squeeze the juice of one half of one lemon over the breasts and sprinkle the breasts with salt and pepper
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18
Split the whole head of garlic into cloves; do not peel
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19
Scatter the garlic gloves in the bottom of the roasting pan
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20
Scrub potatoes; do not peel
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21
If very small, leave whole; if larger, cut in half
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22
Scatter potatoes in the bottom of the roasting pan
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23
Place the three whole breasts, skin side down, on the oiled rack
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24
Place a lemon half in the cavity of each breast
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25
Roast 20 minutes
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26
Baste with a third of the white wine
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27
Carefully (without tearing the skin of the breast if possible) turn breast skin side up, placing lemon in cavity beneath each breast
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28
Baste with pan juices
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29
Roast another 20 minutes
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30
Turn oven down to 375u00b0F
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31
Baste with pan juices; if there is not sufficient liquid in the pan, add more white wine and/or water
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32
Roast another 10-12 minutes
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33
Check for doneness
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34
Remove from oven; tent with foil and allow to rest for at least ten to fifteen minutes
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35
Remove excess fat from pan (there should be very little)
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36
Remove potatoes and keep warm
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37
Remove garlic cloves and squeeze out roasted garlic into the roasting pan
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38
Place pan on stovetop over medium heat
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39
Add mushrooms and allow to saute without stirring for 1 - 2 minutes
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40
Turn mushrooms and saute another minute
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41
Turn heat to high and add remaining wine and 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken broth
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42
Scrape to deglaze and simmer until slightly reduced
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43
Taste for seasoning
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44
(Optional) Whisk in 1 - 2 Tablespoons of butter
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45
Note: This is lovely served on a bed of steamed fresh spinach
