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Chicken Tarragon Saute

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Submitted by castlezoo

Chicken tarragon saute with a whole cut-up chicken browned golden in butter, finished with a scallion and chicken broth pan sauce. Classic French technique, simple ingredients.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

15 min

COOK

1 hrs

READY

1 hrs

This is old-school French bistro cooking stripped to its bones. A whole chicken cut into pieces gets sautéed skin-side down in butter until deep golden brown, then flipped and finished with tarragon and a quick pan sauce made from scallions and chicken broth.

The 40-minute sauté (20 per side) is what makes this recipe work. That long, steady browning in butter renders the skin crisp and builds a fond on the bottom of the skillet. Those dark, caramelized bits are pure concentrated chicken flavor, and they become the foundation of the sauce.

Splitting the tarragon between two stages is a smart technique. Half goes into the butter while the chicken cooks, infusing the fat. The other half goes into the pan sauce at the end, preserving its bright, anise-like flavor.

Chef Tips

  • Shake the pan occasionally while sautéing. This prevents the skin from sticking and tearing when you flip.
  • Pour off the grease before building the sauce, but save a tablespoon. That reserved fat carries all the browned butter and tarragon flavor back into the sauce.
  • Scrape the bottom of the skillet thoroughly when deglazing with broth. Every bit of fond dissolves into flavor.
  • Don’t crowd the skillet. If your pan is smaller than 12 inches, work in batches.

Variations

  • Add a splash of white wine or dry vermouth when deglazing for a more classic French pan sauce.
  • Stir a tablespoon of Dijon mustard into the finished sauce for a sharper, creamier finish.
  • Use fresh tarragon if available. Double the amount and add it at the very end for a more vibrant herb flavor.

Ingredients

2 ½ 1.1
POUNDS KG WHOLE CHICKEN
cut up
1
X SALT AND BLACK PEPPER
to taste *
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML BUTTER
1 15
TABLESPOON ML VEGETABLE OIL
1 5
TEASPOON ML TARRAGON LEAVES
½ 118
CUP ML CHICKEN BROTH

Directions

Clean chicken.

In 12 inch skillet, over medium heat, melt butter.

When bubbly, add chicken pieces, skin side down.

Sauté 20 minutes until deep golden-brown color.

Shake pan now and then so chicken doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Turn chicken pieces.

Sprinke half the tarragon into the butter.

Sauté chicken 20 minutes more.

Remove chicken to large plate or platter.

Pour grease out of skillet into a cup.

Remove root end of scallions.

Slice scallions lengthwise, then cut them up in thin slivers crosswise.

Add scallions and other half of tarragon to skillet.

Return 1 tablespoon of grease from cup to skillet.

Cook, stirring, 1 minute over medium heat.

Pour in chicken broth.

Cook and scrape the bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to swirl all collected bits into broth.

Let bubble 1 to 2 minutes. Pour all over chicken.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 162g (5.7 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 382 56% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 24g 37%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 133mg 44%
Sodium 158mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars g
Protein 78g
Vitamin A 6% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2% Iron 10%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, Low Carb, Sugar-Free
 
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