French Chicken Tarragon Recipes

TARRAGON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Butterfly chicken by placing it breast-side down and, using kitchen shears, cutting along both sides of backbone and through small rib bones. Discard backbone, and place chicken in a large plastic bag with zipper. Add 1/2 cup tarragon, the lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Expel as much air as possible from bag, and make sure marinade coats chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour and up to 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan, spread flat, breast side up. Roast until skin is crisp and golden, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle with salt to taste, and cut into 8 serving pieces. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with remaining tarragon. Serve, if desired, with salad and roasted potatoes.

DIJON-TARRAGON CREAM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Melt the butter and heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet. Brown on both sides. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Set aside and keep warm.
• Stir cream into the pan, scraping up brown bits. Mix in mustard and tarragon. Cook and stir 5 minutes, or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet to coat with sauce. Drizzle chicken with remaining sauce to serve.

CREAMY FRENCH CHICKEN TARRAGON

Steps:

• Make sure you read the cooking notes before you start.
• Step 1 - Two hours prior to cooking, rinse the chicken thighs under cold water and pat-dry thoroughly with paper towel. Season each piece with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside, at room temperature.
• Pre-heat your oven to 375F (190C) with a rack in the middle.
• Step 2 - Heat up a large oven-safe frying pan (or skillet) over medium heat with the butter. When the butter is sizzling, place the chicken thighs in, skin-side down. Cook for about 10 minutes, without touching, until the chicken skin is golden brown and the chicken is ¾ done; just firm. Flip the chicken thighs and cook for 10 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Keep the pan hot and do not rinse it (keep the chicken drippings in).
• Step 3 - Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly caramelized. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, on top of the onion. Sprinkle with the chopped tarragon. Pour the chicken stock and white wine into the pan. Bring to a simmer and transfer the pan into the oven for 30 minutes (covered).
• Step 4 - Take the pan out of the oven, back onto the stove top at medium heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil again. Stir the cream into the pan. Bring to a simmer and keep stirring until the sauce thickens (this could take 7-8 minutes). Place the chicken thighs back into the pan and cook for 5 more minutes.
• For serving, sprinkle chicken pieces with fresh tarragon leaves.

FRENCH CHICKEN TARRAGON

Steps:

• Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.
• Heat the oven to 400°F. Put an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and shallots and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped tarragon and cook for 1 minute (be careful not to let the garlic brown). Arrange the chicken thighs in the pot in one layer, add the broth and wine, and bring to a simmer.
• Put the lid on and place the pot on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and continue baking for 45 minutes, or until the thighs are tender. Put the thighs on a platter, cover loosely, and keep warm.
• Strain the pan juices through a fine sieve into a saucepan and spoon off any rising fat. Place the pan over medium-high heat, add the crème fraîche and lemon zest, and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with tarragon leaves, and serve.

FRENCH TARRAGON ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180c.
• Season the body cavity with the salt and pepper, add 1.5 oz butter, and 1 tsp of the tarragon. Close the cavity with a skewer or toothpick.
• Use the remaining butter to spread over the breast of the bird. Cover with large piece greaseproof paper.
• Place the bird on a rack over the roasting dish and add 2 cups of water. Cook for 1.5 hours or till juices run clear.
• In the meantime, mix the remaining tarragon in a saucepan with the 2 remaining cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer till the liquid has reduced by half.
• With a little water mix the cornstarch to a thin paste and whisk into the tarragon water to thicken it to make a sauce.
• Remove the bird from the pan and set aside.
• Whisk the liquid from the roasting pan into the sauce and add the cream.
• Pour some of the sauce over the bird.
• Serve the remaining sauce separately.
• Serve with boiled potatoes, glazed carrots and runner beans.

RACH'S CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE, GREEN BEANS + RICE PILAF

Steps:

• For the rice, in saucepot over medium heat, melt butter, brown the pasta and pine nuts, add rice and stir a minute more
• Season the rice with salt and pepper, add stock, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes
• Remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes, fluff with fork and serve
• For the beans, boil in salted water 3 to 4 minutes, place in ice water bath to shock, then drain and dry
• Heat a skillet over medium low heat with butter, melt, then add shallots, salt and white pepper and soften
• Add stock and cook at low boil until very tender
• Turn the heat off, add green beans and cover
• Reheat over medium flame when ready to serve
• For the chicken, heat about ¼ cup EVOO, 4 to 5 turns of the pan, in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then lightly brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, and remove to platter
• Add about 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and the butter, melt and bubble, then add garlic and swirl a minute, grate in some lemon zest and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, add a sprinkle of flour, and stir
• Add wine, stock, cream, and tarragon, thicken a bit, stir in mustard and slide chicken back in to cook through
• To serve, add lemon juice
• Serve chicken alongside the rice and green beans

WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON AND LEMON

Steps:

• Wipe the chicken with paper towel and preheat the oven to 180 C / 170 FAN / Gas 5
• Zest the lemon and cut the remaining lemon in half.
• Place the lemon halves in the chicken and set the chicken in a roasting dish.
• Mix the butter with the tarragon, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon zest.
• Carefully ease away the skin from the breast meat as far as possible down to and around the legs.
• Divide the butter in half and spread under the skin each side.
• Cover the skin with olive oil and season with extra salt and pepper if liked.
• Roast for 1 hour 40 minutes and then check to see if the chicken is cooked through.
• When the chicken is cooked transfer to a serving plate and cover with foil.
• Skim off the fat from the roasting pan and squeeze the juice from the lemons from the chicken into the pan.
• Use a wooden spoon to loosen any crusty bits and bring the mixture to the boil on the hob.
• Add the wine and allow the mixture to bubble for a few minutes to reduce.
• Check the seasoning and serve with the chicken.

TARRAGON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the garlic oil in a frying pan or Dutch oven that has a lid and in which the chicken breasts will fit pretty snugly. Add the scallions, stir, then sprinkle in the freeze-dried tarragon, stir again and cook them in the garlic oil for a minute, stirring some more as they cook.
• Put the chicken fillets into the pan, curved side down, and cook for 5 minutes, watching the scallions don't burn. If they look like they're beginning to, scrape them from the pan and let them sit on the chicken pieces.
• Turn over the breasts, and add the vermouth (or white wine). Let the vermouth bubble up, then add the salt. Put the lid on, turn the heat down low and leave it to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through by making a small cut into the thickest part and ensuring the juices run clear - if not, simmer for a few minutes longer and check again.
• Remove the chicken breasts to warmed plates. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil, add the cream and stir well, then sprinkle in the fresh tarragon, stir again and give a good grind of white pepper.
• Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts, and give a final scattering of tarragon to serve.

TARRAGON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the garlic oil in a frying pan or casserole that has a lid and in which the chicken breasts will fit pretty snugly. Add the spring onions, stir, then sprinkle in the freeze-dried tarragon, stir again and cook them in the garlic oil for a minute, stirring some more as they cook. Put the chicken fillets into the pan, curved side down, and cook for 5 minutes. If the spring onions start to burn, scrape them from the pan and let them sit on the chicken pieces. Turn over the breasts, and add the vermouth (or white wine). Let the vermouth bubble up, then add the salt. Put the lid on, turn the heat down low and leave it to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through by making a small cut into the thickest part and ensuring the juices run clear - if not, simmer for a few minutes longer and check again. Remove the chicken breasts to warmed plates. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil, add the cream and stir well, then sprinkle in the fresh tarragon, stir again and give a good grind of white pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts, and give a final scattering of tarragon to serve.