Sautéed Chicken Breasts in Creamy Tarragon Sauce
Tarragon is one of my favorite herbs. It lends a wonderful licorice/anise like flavour and fragrance to food. You will often find it playing a starring role in French cooking, especially in sauces, or as a seasoning for seafood and poultry as in this recipe.
What could be more delicious then a moist chicken breast surrounded by a creamy tarragon pan sauce with just a hint of mustard. Quick and simple, it’s a perfect weeknight dish, yet special enough for guests.
Serve it with broad noodles or rice to soak up any extra sauce and some crisp tender haricots verts.
Change it up!
If you don’t have tarragon, or you just don’t like it, you could substitute marjoram, thyme or even dill.
The sauce is also perfect with shrimps, scallops, or any type of mild white fish.
Leftovers?
As with any dish with a cream sauce, it’s tricky to reheat as the sauce may separate, especially if let come to a boil. Definitely don’t reheat the sauce in the microwave!
Warm the chicken separately from the sauce in a little stock.
To re heat the sauce a double boiler would be ideal or use a smaller pan or metal bowl in a larger pan. Start with hot tap water in the larger pan and place over very low heat. Place the leftover sauce in the small pan and stir until warmed through.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large chopped shallot (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
- 1 tbsp dried tarragon or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Place 2 tablespoon of flour in a shallow dish. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper then dredge in the flour until lightly coated. Shake off any excess flour and add the chicken to the hot pan. Cook the chicken until brown, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook brown the other side , 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the 2 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Add the chopped shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoon of flour over the shallots, cook, while stirring until the mixture is foaming and the colour has darkened slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Increase the heat to moderate and whisk in the wine. Let the wine come to a boil to burn off the alcohol and slightly reduce. Add the stock, tarragon and Dijon mustard and whisk until combined. Stir in the cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and any accumulated chicken juices. Serve the sauce over the chicken.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken back into the pan along with any accumulated chicken juices. Let the chicken cook in the sauce until done, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a warm plate. Bring the sauce back to a boil and allow to reduce slightly if 3- 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the cream if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. TIP: If not using the cream, a tablespoon of butter stirred into the finished sauce just before serving adds a little additional richness
- Serve the sauce over the chicken garnished with some fresh tarragon or sprinkle dried tarragon on the plate.