- ¾ cup apple juice (or use water)
- ½ cup currants
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic, sliced paper thin crosswise
- 1 pound spinach, washed, and patted dry (let a little water cling to the leaves)
- 2¾ teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Japanese panko (or use corn flake crumbs)
- ¼ cup finely grated American Parmesan, Asiago, or Dry Jack cheese
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds) pounded slightly to a ½-inch thickness
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 ounces Crater Lake Blue cheese, crumbled and divided (or use Original Blue or other tangy and creamy blue cheese)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small saucepan, heat the apple juice until almost boiling. Place the currants in a small heat-proof bowl. Pour the apple juice over them. Let sit for 20 minutes, then drain. Set aside.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the spinach and cover. Cook for 3 minutes, or just until the leaves begin to turn a vibrant shade of green but are not quite cooked through. Uncover and turn off heat.
- (The spinach will continue to cook after the heat has been turned off.) Add ¾ teaspoon of the salt, red pepper flakes, and half of the currants. Toss gently (tongs work well), and set aside.
- To prepare the chicken: Mix together the panko, Parmesan cheese, remaining 2 teaspoons of the salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Transfer the mixture to a flat plate. Put the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl. Have a large plate ready. Dip the chicken breasts into the eggs and then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Put them on the plate.
- Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and butter together over medium-high heat, until the butter begins to bubble. Sauté the chicken breasts for 5 minutes on one side, or until the undersides are crispy and brown. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, or until the other side is also crispy and brown and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Remove the paper towels and discard.
- Sprinkle two-thirds of the blue cheese on top of the chicken. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Warm the spinach on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Distribute the spinach among 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle with remaining blue cheese. Place the chicken on top of the spinach, sprinkle with remaining currants, and serve right away.