Creamy tarragon chicken

Creamy tarragon chicken showed up on our dinner table regularly when I was a kid. You could be sure I’d finish my plate on those days and often ask for seconds. Much later, when I went to France, my husband and I revisited the recipe – it is traditional French fare – and made it for a dinner with friends. I still remember it – as do our friends – we still reminisce over the “poulet à l’estragon” served alongside crispy sautéed potatoes that we savored over a memorable bottle of red Cotes du Rhone. That was back in our early days of entertaining when we lived in our tiny apartment in Paris in the early 2000s.

When choosing dried tarragon, the supermarket one will do the job but if you can get your hands on freshly dried tarragon you will definitely taste a difference. I source mine from my inlaws’ garden but you can just buy fresh and dry it at home, it is very easy. This version of the recipe uses heavy cream but feel free to use milk, as my mom did. Both turn out wonderful.

Also, please do serve it with some kind of starch or grain because it helps mop up the delectable sauce. These days, I make it for the kids and they love it on top of fluffy rice or quinoa but potatoes and pasta also work well.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 500 g boneless chicken thighs (you could use breast but it may be a little drier), cut in half
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 2 heaping tbsp dried tarragon
• 1.5 cup (375 ml) dry white wine
• 1/2 – 2/3 cup heavy cream (can be substituted with milk + 1 extra tbsp of cornstarch)
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a minute
2. Add the chicken, sprinkle it with salt and the cornstarch and sauté further until golden on all sides. This should take a few minutes.
3. Add the tarragon and wine. Let it simmer, gently tossing it around for 10 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through. The liquid should reduce by half.
4. Once reduced, add the cream and wait until it simmers. Toss for another minute and turn off the heat. Season with freshly ground pepper and adjust salt quantity if necessary.
5. You can serve right away or set aside, covered in the fridge. If you do opt for the latter, just add a tablespoon or two of milk when you reheat it.