Creamy Chicken Tarragon — Joseph Henry Limited

Serves 2

This is a dreamy, mid-week meal that is quick to prepare and delivers massive flavours. Garlic – tick; white wine – tick; cream – tick; creamy sauce – tick. You simply cannot go wrong with this one.

The most important thing I want to emphasise is ensuring the chicken is safely cooked through. This is where a simple, inexpensive thermometer probe is very useful.

2 large chicken breasts, skinless and deboned
salt
2 TB olive oil
120g white mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
60g dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
250g double cream
generous handful fresh tarragon, finely chopped
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper

Use a sharp knife to make shallow incisions into both chicken breasts. Season all sides with salt.

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a deep, non-stick pan and brown the chicken over high heat on all sides until golden. Remove using tongs and set aside on a plate. Be mindful that at this time the chicken would not have completely cooked through.

Reduce the heat and add the second tablespoon olive oil (to the same pan used for the chicken). Add the mushrooms and sliced garlic and fry for a little less than a minute, stirring regularly to avoid the garlic burning and turning bitter.

Add the white wine to the pan and cook until all the liquid cooks out. Return the chicken to the pan and add the chicken stock. Cook over the same moderate heat until all the stock has cooked out.

Pour the cream into the pan, then cover with a lid, cooking over a moderate heat for 15-20 minutes, scraping down the sides of the pan at regular intervals (the sides are where the cream tends to solidify).

After this time, the sauce would have reduced to a very thick consistency and the chicken will have safely cooked through. If you have any doubt, it’s good practice (and safer) to double check using a meat thermometer probe pierced into the thickest part of one of the chicken breasts.

Serve garnished with plenty of finely chopped tarragon and a scattering of sea salt flakes.

Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve with a side dish that will mop up that glorious sauce.