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A Great French Bistro Dish – Chicken in Tarragon Vinegar

Jun 10, 2011 | 0 comments

I have been making this recipe for so long, I no longer remember where I found the recipe that originally inspired my current version. It might very well have been the amazing Patricia Wells, who has wonderful cookbooks about French bistro cooking. Anyway, I had a craving for this lovely, tangy, brightly-flavored dish last night so whipped it up for my husband and I, and served it with steamed broccoli and some smashed yukon gold potatoes with a bit of garlic. It would be excellent with some crusty french bread for dipping in the sauce as well. One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s very quick to make…about 30 minutes from start to finish. This recipe is for four servings, but if you make it for two, just reduce the number of chicken pieces and leave the rest the same so that you have plenty of sauce!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
6-8 bone-in chicken pieces, with skin (I prefer to use thighs and breasts)
salt & pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 shallots, diced
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp butter mixed with 2 tsp flour

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a skillet, and when hot, add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook until nicely browned, about 3 minutes, then turn the pieces and brown the other side for another 3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the shallots and tomatoes, mix, and cook until the tomatoes start to release their juices, about 4 minutes. Add the vinegar and bring the mixture to a high simmer, then add the chicken pieces, skin side up, turn heat to low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Note that if you are using breasts, check them at 15 minutes and remove if done so they don’t overcook.

To finish, sprinkle the chicken with the fresh tarragon and turn to coat in the sauce, then place chicken pieces on serving plates. Stir the butter and flour mixture into the sauce, and cook for 1-2 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce, and season with salt & pepper as needed. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and enjoy!

Bon appetit!

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