Tarragon chicken
Tarragon chicken — delicate slices of breast in a creamy mustard sauce. Brief searing gives a golden surface, while gentle simmering helps keep the meat tender and prevents the creamy base from separating.
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare the chicken
Cut large breasts horizontally into slices about 2 cm thick. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Finely chop shallots and garlic, remove tarragon leaves from stems and roughly chop.
Brown the chicken
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and half of the butter. Sear the chicken in batches for 3 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer to a plate; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Make the sauce base
Reduce the heat, add the remaining butter and shallots. Cook for 4–5 minutes until soft, then garlic for another 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and reduce by 2–3 minutes, stirring to deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Add the cream sauce ingredients
Add the chicken stock, mustard and cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add half of the tarragon. The sauce should barely bubble; vigorous boiling will not speed up the cooking of the delicate breast.
Finish the meat
Return the chicken with its juices, loosely cover and cook for 8–12 minutes. Turn once. Check with a thermometer that the thickest part has reached 74 °C, then remove from heat.
Finish just before serving
Stir in remaining tarragon and divide sauce between portions. If thin, first remove the cooked chicken and reduce sauce separately. Pasta, rice and vegetable side dishes are not included.
Little hint
Tarragon has a strong aroma, so use the amount specified rather than an entire bunch. For the sauce, use rich cream and gentle heating to maintain a smooth texture.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
Tarragon has a strong aroma, so use the amount specified rather than an entire bunch. For the sauce, use rich cream and gentle heating to maintain a smooth texture.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Cut large breasts horizontally into slices about 2 cm thick. Pat dry and season with salt and pepper. Finely chop shallots and garlic, remove tarragon leaves from stems and roughly chop.
