Tarragon Chicken (Recipe inspired by THE BIRD EATER)

Obviously, after a book like The Bird Eater, you need comfort food. (Everyone eat their feelings!)

In what I felt was an amusingly macabre moment, I realized that any recipe inspired by this book – The Bird Eater – has to include chicken. *dark laughter*

You may feel a bit differently about poultry after reading this book, but trust me, this dish is worth overcoming your distaste.

I’ve tried several versions of Tarragon Chicken at different restaurants, and I’ve loved the dish each time. This is pretty surprising for me since I hate (I mean, HATE) the taste of licorice and anise, and tarragon is distinctly anisette-flavored. However, I’ve found that when it’s cooked down, tarragon becomes a little sweeter and lends a wonderful, unique taste to a dish. So, even if you’re not a licorice-lover, I urge you to give this a try. (Interestingly, my husband, who does love licorice, is not a huge fan of tarragon. Go figure.)

All of the tarragon chicken dishes I’ve had are from restaurants that I can’t afford to go to more than, say, once a month, so I decided to recreate the magic in my own kitchen. I found way too many recipes online, and, after poring over them for at least an hour, I decided to make my own.

My recipe calls for white wine, which I usually avoid in cooking since Husband doesn’t like the taste. However, I am convinced that the wine is needed in this dish to bring out all the flavors. If you’re really opposed to using wine (or if you just don’t have any in the house, which is usually the case with me), you can substitute chicken broth. But once you smell the wine, caramelized shallots, and chopped tarragon together, I warn you: there’s no going back.

Be sure to get a good sear on the chicken. I am usually the worst sear-er ever, though I am starting to get better. I just get very impatient about turning over the meat, and I also worry about burning it instead of searing it. This time, I forced myself to wait the full 4-5 minutes per side, and the result was worth it – I ended up with a gorgeous, golden-brown sear on the chicken breasts. It really contributed to the flavor of the chicken and of the sauce. Plus, this dish is kinda beige to begin with, so having that pop of color is really important for the final presentation. That, and chopped parsley.

I served this dish over farro and roasted Brussels sprouts, but it goes great over pasta or rice, too.

Tarragon Chicken

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Cuisine Food, Recipes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (or, 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced in half)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine + 1-2 tbsp extra
• 1 cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

PREP INSTRUCTIONS

• If using whole chicken breasts, slice each in half so you have four cutlets. Season the chicken cutlets liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Slice shallots and set aside.
• Mince fresh tarragon and set aside.
• Chop fresh parsley and set aside.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add the chicken cutlets to the pan and sear until golden brown on one side, 4-5 minutes. Flip the cutlets over and sear the other side, 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of white wine to the pan, cover, and poach chicken, 5-6 minutes. If the pan gets too dry at any point, add the 2nd tablespoon of wine to create more steam.
• Once chicken is cooked through, remove from pan onto a plate; keep warm.
• Turn the heat down to medium and add the sliced shallots to the pan. Sautee until softened and lightly browned.
• Add the ¼ cup white wine and deglaze the pan. Cook down so the wine reduces slightly but there is still some liquid in the pan, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced tarragon and stir into the liquid.
• Slowly stream in the heavy cream into the pan, stirring slowly but constantly. Let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
• Once sauce has thickened, add the chicken cutlets back to the pan. Turn the cutlets several times until they are warmed through and coated with sauce.
• Serve the cutlets with a generous helping of sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.