Tarragon Chicken
Le Poulet à l’Estragon (Tarragon Chicken) is a classical French dish. Its original recipe technique is a little complicated so I tried to simplify it as much as I could. I have been making this adaptation of Tarragon Chicken for a while now. It is great by itself or with steamed potatoes, pasta, white rice or comfy buttery potato purée. I love this recipe because it reminds me of one of the first dishes my boyfriend (now husband) and I ever cooked in Paris…
Tarragon is a deep green leave herb with licorice and light anise-like aromas. It is an essential ingredients in the “fines herbes” combination. It is usually used to season poultry, seafood and eggs. It is a key component of the Béarnaise Sauce and you can find it in wine vinegars, dijon mustard, cornichons etc… Personally I love the flavors fresh tarragon brings to salads and cheese…
Bon Appétit!
Tarragon Chicken
Recipe Credits: Rafaella Sargi
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 whole chicken legs (skin on, bone in)
Salt
Pepper
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
⅔ cup heavy cream
Additional fresh tarragon leaves for serving
Directions
You will need one baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and paper towels, a big deep skillet with a lid, an oven safe serving dish, a medium strainer, a medium sauce pan, paper towels and aluminum foil.
Prep all the ingredients.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with paper towel and season it with salt and pepper.
Heat a deep frying pan, add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sear the chicken until golden brown (4 to 5 minutes on each side). Do not overcrowd the skillet and work in batches if necessary.
Reserve the seared chicken pieces on the baking sheet. The chicken is not cooked at this point so be careful how you handle it and do not cross contaminate your utensils and working surface.
Remove the rendered fat in the skillet leaving approximatively the equivalent of 2 tablespoons in the pan. Discard the rest.
Add the flour and mix well. Pour in the wine and chicken stock. Mix until well combined and let it cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Return the chicken pieces and 2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon leaves. Cover and let cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, heat the oven to 300F (150C).
Remove the cooked chicken and place it in a serving dish. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the hot oven to keep warm.
Over a medium sauce pan, strain the cooking liquids. Return to the stove, bring back the sauce to a boil and let it simmer until it reduced slightly and thickens. Add the cream and lower the heat. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the creamy sauce on top. Sprinkle a few fresh tarragon leaves and serve immediately.
You can serve this with a comforting side of Potato Purée.
Recipe adapted from The Food of France. A journey for food lovers.
