Roast Tarragon-Cognac Chicken →

When people ask me what my favorite roast chicken recipe is, I often say, “The last one I cooked...” and there are probably enough out there to last me a lifetime of cooking. Having said that, my favorite method to roast a chicken is on the grill in a hot, pre-heated cast iron skillet. This recipe is adapted from a French inspired recipe by Melissa Clark and Christiane Baumgartner on the NYTimes Cooking website. Fresh tarragon and cognac… how can you go wrong? Bon appetite!

Roast Tarragon-Cognac Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings

• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken (preferably air chilled chicken)

• 2½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1 bunch fresh tarragon, leaves and tender stems coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup); reserve two tablespoons for gravy or pan sauce.

• 2 tablespoons Cognac

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

PREPARATION
Preheat a cast iron skillet on the grill to 400 F.

1. Pat the chicken dry and salt the bird inside and out. Transfer to a plate or baking dish, preferably on a rack, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. When ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven or grill to 400 F.

3. In a small bowl, combine butter, tarragon, 1 tablespoon Cognac, and pepper. Rub the mixture inside the chicken cavity and over and under the chicken skin. Alternatively, you may find it easier to melt the butter mixture and brush it on the chicken.

4. Once the grill reaches 400 F., place the prepared chicken onto the hot skillet and roast, breast side up, until the skin is golden and crisp, and the juices run clear when you insert a fork in the thickest part of the thigh (165 degrees), about 1 hour. Alternatively, preheat your oven to 400 F. Place the chicken on a rimmed sheet pan, or in a large, ovenproof skillet and roast, breast side up, until the skin is golden and crisp, and the juices run clear when you insert a fork in the thickest part of the thigh (165 F. on an insta-read thermometer), about 1 hour.

5. Turn off the grill or oven — don’t skip this step, or the Cognac may overheat and catch fire — open the grill, or if using the oven, transfer the pan with the chicken to the stove top. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon Cognac over the bird and baste with some of the buttery pan juices. Immediately return the chicken to the turned-off grill or oven and close; let rest there for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

6. For pan sauce: pour off the juices from the pan and allow the fat to separate. Skim off the fat, stir in a tablespoon of fresh tarragon (to taste), and spoon the pan juices at the table. If you want to make gravy, deglaze the pan with a half cup of white wine. Reduce by a half and add a cup of chicken stock and two tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon; reduce by half. Using two tablespoons of the fat from the pan, add a tablespoon of flour and stir to make a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the simmering stock, stirring constantly until well incorporated. Add the reserved pan juices; adjust the salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Wine pairing: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Soave, Rueda, Viognier, Dry Riesling

Adapted from a recipe by Melissa Clark and Christiane Baumgartner

Grilled Marinated Tarragon Chicken →

Here’s a super-easy, low-fat, summery version of the classic French recipe Tarragon Chicken. Being in full summer-vibe mode, I adapted Nigela Lawson’s “Roast Marinated Tarragon Chicken” to the grill.  After all, why heat up your oven and house, when you can grill? Faintly licoricey, bitter-sweet Tarragon is an ideal herb to use with chicken, but fresh Thyme with some crushed garlic would also be a good choice in the marinade. Grilling the chicken adds complexity to the flavor of the finished succulent bird. If you have any leftovers, make a summer Chicken Salad accompanied by marinated summer veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and green beans. Enjoy! 

Grilled Marinated Tarragon Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

·   3- to 4-pound chicken (Cornish hen would also work well)
·   ¾ cup chopped fresh tarragon
·   Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
·   ½ cup olive oil
·   Malden salt or other flaky sea salt 

PREPARATION 

1. Butterfly the chicken by placing it breast-side down and, using kitchen shears, cutting along both sides of the backbone and through small rib bones. Discard the backbone, and place the chicken in a large plastic bag with a zipper. Add ½ cup fresh tarragon, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Expel as much air as possible from the bag, and make sure the marinade coats the chicken. Refrigerate for at least ½ hour and up to 24 hours.
2. Heat your grill to 450 degrees. Oil the grill grates and place chicken skin side up on the grate. Spread the bird flat and roast until skin is crisp and golden, 35 to 45 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with salt to taste and cut into 8 serving pieces. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with remaining tarragon. Serve with salad or your vegetable of choice and roasted potatoes.

Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson: “Roast Marinated Tarragon Chicken”

Wine pairing: a French Chablis, Spanish Verdejo, Viognier, or Pinot Grigio would work with this dish. A chilled Rosé would also be a good choice.

Tarragon Chicken Pot Pie →

What do you do with left-over roast chicken or turkey? This recipe is a riff on a classic French recipe: Tarragon Chicken (Poulet à l'Estragon) made into pot-pie comfort food. The slight anise flavor of tarragon pairs beautifully with chicken or turkey, but feel free to substitute more traditional poultry seasoning herbs like thyme and rosemary. Although the list of ingredients is a bit lengthy, the recipe comes together very quickly. Use a good quality store-bought puff pastry or pie crust to save time, or if inspired, make your own pie crust or biscuit recipe. If you use biscuit dough, roll the dough to ½ inch thickness and cut the dough into individual biscuits to bake atop the chicken and sauce.

Tarragon Chicken Pot Pie
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cooked chicken (or turkey) cut into ½ inch cubes

• 2 medium carrots ¼ inch dice

• 1 stalk of celery ¼ inch dice

• ½ medium onion chopped

• ½ cup green peas

• 1 ½ cups chicken stock

• ½ cup crème fraiche

• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

• ¼ cup dry sherry (or dry white wine)

• 2 tablespoon flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 package of puff pastry made with butter (or use a more traditional pie crust or biscuit recipe)

• 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon of milk for the pastry wash (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400 F.

1. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in a tablespoon of oil until the onion is tender.

2. Add the flour and stir for a minute to coat the veggies.

3. Over medium-high heat, slowly add the stock and sherry stirring constantly. Bring to a slow boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and add the chicken, tarragon, crème fraiche, salt, and pepper. Continue to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes while you prepare the puff pastry.

4. Roll out the cold puff pastry lightly with a rolling pin. (Best to use the pastry while still cold before it reaches room temperature.) Using a fork, pierce the central area of the pastry a few times.

5. Pour the chicken and sauce into a 9 x 9-inch Pyrex baking dish (I used a 9 ½ x 7-inch oval baking dish)

6. Drape the pastry over the baking dish and using a sharp knife trim pastry around the edges of the baking dish. Using a fork, pierce the pastry a few times. (See *Note)

7. Brush on the egg wash with a fine-bristled pastry brush and place in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. When done, the crust should be puffy and golden and the sauce bubbling. Serve while hot and enjoy!

   *Note: Alternatively, trim the pastry to the size of your baking dish; pierce a few times with a fork. Place the pastry on a sheet pan and bake until light brown. Once baked, carefully place the crust on top of the baking dish with the chicken and sauce and bake, monitoring, until the sauce is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. (less than 30-40 minutes) This will ensure a crunchy crust without any sogginess.

Photo: c. foodblogchef 2021

Wine pairing: white wines that have enough body to stand up to the rich sauce. Good choices would be White Burgundy, White Rhone Wines, Viognier. A good quality Rosé would also work.

Tarragon Chicken with Mushrooms →

Another French inspired chicken dish with a luscious, creamy sauce and a hint of anise from the tarragon. Serve it with egg noodles and a colorful steamed or sauteed vegetable, and/or a leafy, green salad. Bon appetit!

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 small-medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts or two large breasts cut in half, trimmed of fat (1-1 1/4 pounds total) (or 4 boneless, skinless thighs)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

• 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided

• 6 ounces of stemmed sliced cremini or shiitake mushrooms

• 1 medium shallot finely chopped (approximately 3-4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots)

• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

• 1-2 tablespoons. reduced-fat sour cream, or crème fraiche (optional)

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (you can also substitute thyme and/or rosemary)

• a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken to a uniform thickness of about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Season chicken on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dust the skinless chicken lightly with flour.

2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the sliced mushrooms until they have given off their water and begun to brown. Remove from heat and reserve.

3. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes per side. After browning the first side squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the browned chicken. After browning the second side, transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

4. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add shallots; cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. At this point you can add the 2 tablespoons of brandy and reduce until almost evaporated. (optional)

5. Add broth and wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes. Stir the reserved mushrooms, mustard (optional), sour cream (or crème fraiche), and tarragon into sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; spoon the sauce over the chicken and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes.

7. Plate and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

*Notes:

If you are not concerned about the extra fat, and you want optimum flavor, choose air-chilled chicken breasts or thighs with bone-in and skin, and skip dusting with flour.

If you choose not to thicken the sauce with the sour cream and mustard (classic French cooking), you can squeeze a little lemon juice over the chicken while you brown it and thicken the sauce with flour like a roux or gravy. (Mix 2 teaspoons flour with 2 tablespoons of melted butter until smooth and slowly add to reduced wine/broth stock, whisking constantly to avoid clumps.)

If you don’t have fresh tarragon, you can add 2 teaspoons of dried tarragon to the stock as it reduces.

It helps to pound the chicken breasts between plastic wrap to an even thickness….this avoids overcooking and helps tenderize the breasts. Or, you can use chicken tenders.

As with all recipes, experiment and make it your own.

Adapted from a recipe in EatingWell Magazine