Tarragon Chicken

Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes, baking time 45 minutes.                                    

On the table in an hour and a half!

Browning the breast filets

Browned breast filets

The Roux

Breasts and sauce..pour sauce over the chicken

Plated Tarragon Chicken

Ingredients to prepare the chicken:

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (rabbit is excellent with this recipe too!)

¼ teaspoon Lawry’s Season Salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon dried Tarragon leaves

1 cup flour (more or less)

4 tablespoons of real butter (more or less)

Ingredients for the sauce:

2 tablespoons of real butter

1 tablespoon of the leftover flour mixture

½ cup of ketchup

3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 soup can of Apple Cider or Chardonnay wine (or 50/50 cider & wine)

1 soup can of water

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Black pepper to taste

1/3 teaspoon dried Tarragon leaves

Optional: 1 cup of washed, thick sliced fresh mushrooms. If used, add to sauce and stir right before you pour the sauce onto the chicken

MAKING IT A MEAL:

2 uncooked cups of jasmine rice, cook separately according to package directions while chicken is baking

A green vegetable such as broccoli or asparagus steam to tender crisp and serve piping hot

PREPARING AND COOKING THE CHICKEN:

 

Filet the breast halves the long ways to make 2 pieces of the same length and thicknesses from each breast half. The idea is to end up with 8 pieces of equal size from 4 breast halves. Place one piece at a time in plastic wrap, pound with meat hammer to tenderize.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour and seasonings) in the chicken preparation list and coat each piece by pushing hard into flour mixture, cover both sides with flour mixture, set pieces aside.

In a non-stick skillet, heat about 2-3 tablespoons of butter (not oil, not margarine, not spreadable butter, but REAL BUTTER) to medium temperature and brown 3 to 4 filets at a time turning once; until lightly browned on both sides. Don’t overcook, just brown the pieces. Set in a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Add more butter to skillet and repeat until all pieces are browned.

the ROUX & THE SAUCE:

ROUX:  

Put 2 additional tablespoons of butter in frying pan, melt it but don’t burn it. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture (leftover from coating the chicken) into the melted butter mixture and stir until smooth with wooden spatula. Heat until the roux is hot and bubbly and has turned a golden orange color. DON’T BURN IT. 

SAUCE: 

Add the cider to roux in the skillet. Turn up the heat a little bit. Stir until smooth and hot, add all of the other ingredients in the sauce list (can of soup, can of water, ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce & the additional spices) stir with a  flat wooden scraper or non-stick safe whisk until hot and bubbling and completely smooth. Add mushrooms if desired.

Pre-heat oven to 350 bake

Pour sauce over chicken pieces and put in the oven immediately, bake covered (foil is fine) at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Start jasmine rice, cook according to directions on bag. Keep warm once rice is cooked.

Plate the rice and place chicken breast pieces on top of rice and ladle desired amount of sauce on top. Serve with a steamed green vegetable. This is a family friendly recipe, kids like it.  Bon Appetit!

Priscilla Farmer 

Lake Fort Phantom Hill

Jones County, Abilene, Texas