May…finally!
This month brings out the gardener in all of us. While I don’t maintain a large garden, I take great pleasure in the pots of herbs that
fill my patio each summer. Having fresh herbs like tarragon at hand opens up a world of culinary possibilities. Its distinctive flavor has
just a hint of licorice and tarragon pairs well with delicate spring foods like eggs, chicken, and fish.
Prized in classical French cooking, tarragon is an essential ingredient in béarnaise sauce. Poulet à l’estragon (chicken with tarragon) is an iconic preparation in French cuisine. Many traditional recipes call for a whole chicken or bone-in pieces, but I have developed this version using quick-cooking chicken cutlets.
This technique is a classic sauté: As chicken cooks quickly, the pieces need to be thin. You can purchase chicken cutlets that should be about the right thickness. Otherwise, pound the regular chicken breasts or chicken tenders to make cutlets. Sauté the chicken over lively heat, then set it aside will you build the sauce with chopped shallots, wine and chicken broth, capturing the flavorful browned bits left in the skillet. Finally, finish the sauce with cream and fresh tarragon.
As with a stir-fry, once you begin cooking the process moves quickly, so it’s helpful to prep and measure all your ingredients before you start cooking. That way, you can monitor the cooking carefully.
Be sure to use French tarragon, rather than the Russian variety, which is easy to grow but has little flavor. While I keep dried tarragon on hand and use it to perk up soft-boiled eggs or a compound butter during the winter, I recommend that you use fresh tarragon for this dish — the flavor of the dried version simply does not compare to fresh
Ingredients
8-10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, chicken tenders, or chicken cutlets (thin slice), trimmed
2 tablespoons all-purpose wheat or gluten-free flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as avocado or canola
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 generous tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Preparation
1. If using chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into portion-size pieces. (The pieces will appear larger once they are pounded.) If the chicken breast is thick, slice it in half horizontally. Place the chicken between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet, a heavy skillet, or rolling pin to about ¼-inch thick. (If you purchase chicken cutlets, you don’t need to flatten them.) Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in flour. (Discard any leftover flour.) Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is sizzling, add the chicken and cook until nicely browned and cooked through, 2 ½ to 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat if the chicken is browning too quickly. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
3. Add the shallot to the skillet; cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crème fraiche (or cream) and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook until reduced slightly, for about 2 minutes. Stir the cornstarch mixture, then stir it into the simmering sauce. It should thicken enough to coat a spoon right away. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mustard and stir until smooth. Stir in the tarragon. Taste and adjust seasonings. Return the chicken to the skillet. Turn to coat with the sauce, then heat through over low heat.
Makes 2 servings.
Patsy Jamieson
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