Recipes › Tarragon Chicken (Poulet à l'Estragon)
Tarragon Chicken (Poulet à l'Estragon)
This classic French bistro dish braises chicken in a creamy white wine and tarragon sauce until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce is silky, fragrant, and deeply satisfying. Tarragon is so central to the flavour that the dish is barely recognisable without it. Serve with crusty bread or buttered egg noodles to soak up every drop of the extraordinary sauce.
Ingredients
- lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
- cup fresh tarragon, divided
- shallots, finely diced
- garlic cloves, minced
- cup dry white wine (Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)
- cup chicken broth
- cup heavy cream
- tablespoon Dijon mustard
- tablespoons unsalted butter
- tablespoon olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Contains: milk, mustard, sulphites.
Method
- Season chicken generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and brown the other side for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, cook shallots over medium heat for 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Add broth and half the tarragon (roughly chopped). Stir to combine.
- Return chicken to the pan, nestled in the sauce. Cover and braise over medium-low heat for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken. Stir cream and Dijon mustard into the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Return chicken to the pan. Stir in remaining fresh tarragon (finely chopped). Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Do not skip the browning step — the Maillard crust on the chicken adds enormous depth to the final sauce.
- Add the last batch of fresh tarragon off the heat to keep its colour and fragrance fresh.
Ring the changes
- Add a handful of sliced mushrooms with the shallots for a more autumnal version.
- Use crème fraîche instead of heavy cream for a tangier, lighter sauce.
Keeping it
Refrigerate in the sauce for up to 3 days. The flavours deepen overnight. Reheat gently over medium-low heat.
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