Tarragon Chicken #SundaySupper

May 6, 2012 by

I’m very happy to be able to participate in this weeks #SundaySupper! Todays theme is “May Flowers, Veggies and Herbs.” I didn’t  hesitate to prepare this as a wonderful spring dish. I think I may have tweeted my joy when I saw that Tarragon was available again ~ a true indication that spring has arrived! For those that are not familiar with Tarragon, it is an herb that is quite popular in French cuisine and pairs very well with chicken and fish. It is very aromatic and reminds me of liquorice! When I made this dish almost 2 years ago for the first time, I enjoyed it immensely. I decided to serve the chicken with Fennel (a vegetable with a very similar aroma to Tarragon) as well as Zucchini and Jasmine Rice.

 

Tarragon Chicken with Pan Seared Fennel and Zucchini, Jasmine Rice

 

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Tarragon Chicken
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A French dish, perfect for a comforting family dinner
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 8 Drumsticks, Skinless (any part of the chicken is good)
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • ½ Cup Half & Half
  • ½ cup fresh tarragon and a few extra for garnish
Instructions
  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper
  2. In a large dutch oven, warm oil and butter over a medium-high heat
  3. Brown chicken in batches and set aside
  4. Add all the chicken pieces back to the pot
  5. Add broth, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
  6. Take the chicken from the pot and set aside.
  7. Add shallot to the pot and soften, about 5 minutes
  8. Add wine, allow to reduce about 7 minutes
  9. Add half and half, stir to combine
  10. Add chopped Tarragon, stir and cover for about 5 minutes
  11. Add chicken back to the pot, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes
  12. Serve and garnish with fresh Tarragon
Notes
Served with pan seared Fennel, pan seared Zucchini Slices and aromatic Jasmine Rice Recipe adapted from Laura Calder's version: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Herbs/recipe.html?dishid=9128

 

Such a lovely herb. I love the scent and flavour!

 

Fresh Tarragon

 

Brown the chicken pieces in batches. If you used chicken pieces with the skin on, you may want to skim some of the fat left over in the pot. Not too much – since that’s where the base flavour is.

 

Chicken in Olive Oil and Butter

 

After you’ve browned all pieces of chicken, and cooked them down in the broth, set them aside while you build the Tarragon sauce.

 

Chicken, resting

 

Soften the shallots in the broth.

 

Softening the Shallot

 

Add the fresh Tarragon into the Broth and cream mixture. Simmer.

 

Fresh Tarragon in wine and cream sauce

 

The sauce should have a rich, thick consistency. Taste at this point, to see if you need salt and/or pepper. Add the chicken back to the pot to incorporate the flavour.

 

Tarragon Chicken Sauce

 

The sauce is terrific. The texture is great and the flavour is awesome.

 

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Sauce

 

Dinner is served!

 

Tarragon Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Fennel and Zucchini

 

 

Here are some wonderful spring inspired meal ideas for #SundaySupper using Herbs and Vegetables. These recipes will  inspire you to spend more time Around the Family Table!

Cocktails and Wine Pairings: 

Appetizers:

Entrees:

Side Dishes:

Dessert:

 

Happy Sunday! Enjoy quality time with your loved ones this evening.

~Lyn

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20 Comments

  1. That sauce looks amazing, I feel like I wanna grab those chicken out of my monitor

  2. Tarragon – one of my favorite herbs! I am growing a few plants this year and I am adding this to my recipes to use them. Thanks for sharing!

    • You’re welcome Renee! I should take some tips from you when it comes to planting herbs!

  3. I simply adore tarragon. And once again, your photos are amazing!

  4. Lyn, I really think you need a little herb garden in the back yard! Thanks for this recipe as I’ve been thinking about using some white wine to make dinner!! This looked great!

    • CD I really REALLY want one! Thyme, Tarragon, Chives, Mint…to name a few! White wine is awesome. I used a little in the recipe then we had a whole bottle to sip on after 🙂 Thanks hon!

  5. I love tarragon and this chicken dish looks fantastic. Your pictures are lovely, Lyn.

  6. Funny I was thinking the other day whether I’d like tarragon bc I’ve never had it. Since it has a licorice taste, I may not like it… However your chicken is beautiful and I’m bookmarking this regardless. I can always use another herb, like basil.

    • Hi Carla, I wasn’t sure if I would like it either. Tarragon isn’t something I knew about since its not a Caribbean herb. I do like liquorice but even so, I was wondering if the entire meal would taste that way. Fortunately, it did not. The taste is very subtle. The wine is what I tasted more of and it left an aftertaste that I didn’t care for. So I reduced the quantity and now its AWESOME! LOL! Thank you so much for the compliment. And sure, certainly try with another herb. A recipe is just a guideline 🙂

  7. Beautiful meal Lyn! I have some chicken drumsticks in the freezer that are just waiting to be used, i just need to pick up some tarragon and white wine and I can make this, yayyy!

  8. This looks amazing!!!
    I want to put my hand into the screen and grab that delicious chicken drumstick..Yum!!!

  9. I LOVE this post! Great photos, and while I’m not a big fan of poultry, YOU MAKE ME WANT TO EAT CHICKEN!! 🙂

    • Ha! Oh wow Sofie! I know a few people who don’t eat poultry – my Dad is one of them! I doubt even this post could convert him!! LOL!!! I like that you like it!!!

  10. I honestly haven’t tried cooking with tarragon. The pix of your delicious looking dish made me realize what I’ve been missing out on!

    • Oh Tina, you MUST try it… even once to say you have! I love this dish!!! I’m sure you’ll love it too 🙂

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