You can never go wrong with serving a classic French chicken dish like this one.  Fresh herbs, tender chicken, sliced mushrooms, wine….you get my drift.  But let’s talk specifics here.  Fresh tarragon and chicken pair very nicely–tarragon has an anise-flavor to it that is super fragrant and distinct.  The recipe itself starts out with a nice sear of chicken (I decided to use chicken breasts, but dark meat cuts are what the dish is traditionally made with); next comes the sauté of garlic, onions and shallots, then a deglazing of the pan with both white wine and rich Cognac or brandy.

The mushrooms cook in this lovely mixture of wine plus broth, and you finish the sauce off by enriching it with a pat of butter and the fresh tarragon.  Searing chicken first, then finishing off the cooking process in the oven is a wonderful way to ensure a browned crust, and a super-moist interior.  I like serving a classic chicken-and-sauce recipe like this one with fluffy mashed potatoes and a simple green salad.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Tagged: brandy, chicken, chicken stock, chicken with sauce, Cognac, French country cooking, fresh tarragon, garlic, Mimi Thorisson, mushrooms, onions, shallots, white wine