Crisp-skinned chicken thighs in a cream sauce with shallots, white wine, and tarragon. Tarragon microgreens in the sauce and on top bring a fresh anise aroma.
INGREDIENTS
- 700 g - bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (8)
- salt, black pepper
- 1 tbsp - neutral oil
- 20 g - butter (1 1/2 tbsp)
- 2 - shallots (60 g)
- 100 ml - dry white wine (scant 1/2 cup)
- 150 ml - chicken broth (2/3 cup)
- 150 ml - heavy cream (2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp - Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp - dried tarragon
- 15 g - tarragon microgreens
STEPS
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the thighs skin side down for 7-8 minutes, until deep golden. Turn, cook 3 minutes more, and move to a plate.
- Pour off the excess fat, leaving 1 tbsp. Add the butter and finely chopped shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft.
- Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the browned bits dissolve. Reduce the wine by half, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broth, cream, mustard, and dried tarragon, return the chicken skin side up, and simmer uncovered over low heat for 15-20 minutes, to 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
- Take off the heat, stir half the tarragon microgreens into the sauce, taste, and add salt. Serve the chicken with the sauce and top with the rest of the microgreens.
Tarragon Microgreens in Creamy Chicken
Chicken with tarragon cream sauce is a classic of French home cooking. Tarragon gives the cream an anise note, so the sauce tastes like more than fat. Tarragon microgreens smell the same but softer and more delicate than the mature leaves: anise, a hint of vanilla sweetness, grassy freshness, and a faint peppery finish.
Tarragon shows up twice in this recipe. Dried tarragon simmers in the sauce for depth, and the microgreens are stirred into the sauce off the heat and scattered on top, so the aroma stays fresh.
About the Ingredients
Tarragon microgreens: 15 g for four servings. The leaves are tiny, so buy a little extra. Chervil microgreens work as a swap.
Chicken: skin-on thighs, bone-in or boneless. Breasts work too; simmer them for less time so they don’t dry out.
Wine: dry white. Without wine, use broth with a spoonful of lemon juice.
Cream: heavy cream. Light cream can curdle in the sauce.
Technique: Build the Sauce in the Pan
After the chicken browns, browned bits stay stuck to the bottom of the skillet. That’s where the sauce gets its flavor. Cook the shallot in the fat, pour in the wine, and scrape the bottom with a spatula until everything dissolves. Reduce the wine by half, then add the broth and cream. The sauce is ready when it coats a spoon and a finger drawn across the back leaves a clean line.
Variations
- With mushrooms: brown 200 g sliced mushrooms with the shallot.
- With mustard: 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard instead of Dijon.
- With rabbit: rabbit instead of chicken, simmered 15 minutes longer.
- Lighter: replace half the cream with sour cream, stirred in at the end without boiling.
Serving and Storage
Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or a fresh baguette to mop up the sauce. The chicken in its sauce keeps in the fridge for 3 days; reheat it gently. Add fresh microgreens after reheating. How long a container of microgreens lasts is in our wiki: microgreen shelf life.
Another creamy dish with microgreens: pea shoot risotto with Parmesan.
CHEF'S TIPS
Don't cover the skillet while it simmers: the skin goes soggy and the sauce won't thicken.
If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a spoonful of broth. If it's too thin, lift out the chicken and reduce the sauce for 3 minutes more.
