TARRAGON CHICKEN

 À la Bruno and CM

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 T butter

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts cut in large chunks

Tarragon, 3-4 twigs. Remove leaves to get about 1 T chopped leaves; keep other twigs intact

Shallot, diced

1/3 C chicken stock

¾ T sherry or champagne vinegar

2 T cognac

1 t Dijon mustard

1/3 C crème fraiche

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350 F, 180 C

Heat most of the oil and butter in frying pan and quickly cook the chicken pieces, ‘till no red/pink is showing

Remove and put into a baking dish that keeps the chicken pieces tightly packed (fine if they pile up on each other); lay tarragon sprigs around the pieces.

Add remaining oil and butter to pan and saute shallot. Add chicken stock, vinegar, and Cognac, scraping up any caramelized bits. Add mustard, crème fraiche, salt & pepper. Pour over chicken in baking dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle on reserved tarragon leaves. 

Serve with potatoes or rice.  If you’re making rice, you could add a few T of the tarragon sauce to the rice five minutes before it’s done, and a few fresh tarragon leaves.