Chicken with a white wine and tarragon cream sauce


Servings: 2
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • 2 chicken portions
  • ½ pint dry white wine
  • 6 shallots, peeled
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 slices of smoked bacon or pancetta
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp crème fraîche or heavy cream
  • salt and pepper

  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan (big enough to fit the chicken pieces snugly in one layer) and fry the bacon or pancetta until it starts to go crispy. Remove to a plate.
  2. Season the chicken joints and add to the oil and bacon fat. Fry on all sides until they are a deep golden brown, and remove them.
  3. Fry the whole shallots and garlic cloves in the same oil until they start to brown, then add the bacon or pancetta and chicken pieces.
  4. Add enough white wine to just about cover the chicken, and scatter the chopped tarragon on top. Turn down the heat until it is just barely simmering, and cook, uncovered, for one hour, turning the chicken pieces over half way through.
  5. When you are ready to serve, dish up the chicken and shallots onto warmed plates, and quickly whisk in the cream to the reduced juices left in the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.

This recipe is based on one given by Delia Smith in her Summer Collection under the description "Chicken with Sherry Vinegar and Tarragon Sauce". Unfortunately, when I came to try it, I could find neither sherry nor sherry vinegar, and I had some pancetta left over from a spaghetti carbonara the night before. Hence this cross between coq au vin and Delia's poulet au vinaigre.



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Created 17 Oct 1999, modified 01 Nov 1999