Laura’s Tarragon Chicken

simplygascony
6 days ago
3 min read

No herb says France louder than tarragon, and this recipe has no particular region; it is served in homes and bistros throughout the country. It is a good dish to have in your French culinary repertoire, especially in the winter months when cooking seasonally can be more challenging. Frozen tarragon will work here but do not use dried.

In France, I get whole chickens from the market and either cut them into pieces myself or get the producer to do this for me. Or the butcher. In other places, you may find it easier to buy chicken pieces. The importance here is to use pieces with the bones. There is so much flavour in the bones and this is why it is not a problem to add water; the bones will seep flavour into the cooking liquid. But if you do use boneless chicken, replace the water with good quality chicken stock.

And, if you find the taste of chickens where you are less than fabulous, come to Gascony soon and experience for yourself what chickens are supposed to taste like 😊

Serves 4-6

1 whole chicken, cut in pieces

2-3 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped

125 ml dry white wine

2 tbsp vinegar, white wine or cider

2-3 sprigs parsley

1 bunch fresh tarragon

3-4 tbsp crème fraiche

Wholegrain Dijon mustard, optional

Salt and pepper

In a sauté pan with a lid, large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer, heat the butter until just foaming. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down. Do not crowd the pan; you may need to work in batches. Cook over medium heat until well browned on the first side, taking care not to burn. Turn and brown the other side. Transfer the pieces as they brown to a plate, season well with salt and continue cooking as required. If there is a lot of fat in the pan at the end, remove some with a spoon.

Lower the heat and add the shallot or onion to the pan and cook for a few minutes or so, just until beginning to turn golden. Add the wine and vinegar and stir to blend. Return the chicken to the pan and and top up with water to cover the pieces halfway.

Tie the parsley and about 1/3 of the tarragon bunch together with kitchen string and add this herb bundle to the pan. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, 35-45 minutes.

Up to this point you can make the recipe ahead of time, and it will be better if you do (refrigerate overnight even) just be sure to reheat the chicken thoroughly before proceeding with the rest.

Meanwhile, strip the leaves from the remaining tarragon sprigs, chop finely and set aside. Add the stems to the cooking chicken (or put them in a bottle of vinegar to make tarragon vinegar).

When the chicken is cooked through, transfer the pieces to a heatproof serving dish. Remove the herb sprigs from the pan and discard.

Raise the heat and cook until the sauce is reduced by about two-thirds. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may even want to add a pinch of sugar if the vinegar is too acidic. Or add a splash if there is not enough. Continue reducing if necessary.

When ready to serve, stir in the crème fraiche and chopped tarragon. Taste again and if you find it a bit too subtle, stir in a good whack of whole-grain mustard. Pour the sauce over the chicken, grind over some black pepper and serve immediately.

Laura Washburn Hutton

Atelier Cuisine Fourcès

+33 (0) 7 77 92 40 89

cookingchateau@gmail.com