Tarragon Chicken

 

Picture above is of the Waypoint Dam that we walked through while on the Honey Bee trail. The trail is located in Oro Valley close to the Catalina mountains in Tucson, Arizona. It's a quiet, urban walk that goes in and out of a sandy wash where you get great views of the local mountains.

I find it always hard to get back into the swing of things after a week-end away. So last Monday I needed something easy to prepare with lots of flavor, and this fit the bill. The only thing I would add/change in this recipe would be the addition of mushrooms, otherwise this dish is perfect. Recipe from Laura Calder, Cooking Channel. Served with brown rice and a green salad.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 range free chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
1 shallot (minced)
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon
1 lemon (juice to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Melt the butter with the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pieces with salt and pepper and fry about 5 to 6 minutes until browned on each side. Add chicken stock and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook until tender. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm and reduce any leftover juices until sticky. Add the shallot and wine and let mixture reduce bout 5 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and 1/2 of the tarragon. Simmer until sauce thickens.

Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Put back the chicken pieces, turning to coat. Scatter over the remaining tarragon and serve. Enjoy!