Chicken in Creamy Tarragon Wine Sauce

( 4 servings)

A month or so ago I was reading a book and one of the characters in it prepared a dinner with chicken in mascarpone, white wine and tarragon sauce. It sounded delicious so I googled the recipe and came across one by the author, Rachel Abbott. The link for this recipe was from her book Sleep Tight which I adapted slightly. Sadly, she has since removed the link.

For several weeks I kept checking the market for fresh tarragon and when I finally asked someone about it, I was told they only sold it during the summer months. A few days ago I was in town and found a bunch of fresh organic tarragon. I grabbed a few chicken breasts, but decided not to get the marscapone. I still had some sour cream at home.

This chicken dish was amazing! It was easy to prepare and will probably become one of my go-to dishes. The entire meal of steamed green beans, rice and the chicken took about 35 minutes to make.

4 small skinless and boneless chicken breasts, or 2 huge breasts (about 5-6 oz per portion)
salt and freshly cracked pepper
small amount of butter for sauteing
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tsp fresh lemon zest, finely chopped
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp *tapioca flour

chopped fresh tarragon for garnish

Place the chicken breasts between parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound gently with a mallet until they are an even thickness. The breasts I picked up were huge, so I divided them by slicing them through the middle. Season both sides with salt and pepper right before you put them into the skillet.

Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat (large enough to hold all of the chicken in one layer). Add about 2 teaspoons butter and when it begins to foam add the chicken and fry for about 2-3 minutes per side or just until both sides are lightly browned. It's not necessary to cook the chicken all the way through. Remove the chicken and place onto a plate. Set aside.

Lower the heat and add another 2 teaspoons of butter to the skillet (do not wipe the skillet clean beforehand). Add the garlic and fry until fragrant; about 30 seconds. Stir in the onions and saute until they are soft and translucent; about 5 minutes.

Pour in the wine and add the tarragon and lemon zest. Increase the heat and briskly simmer the mixture until the liquid has reduced by about half; about 6-7 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth and reduce the heat so the mixture gently simmers.

Stir together the sour cream and the tapioca flour. Add a spoonful or two of the hot liquid to temper the sour cream, then add it all back into the skillet. *The small amount of tapioca flour prevents the sour cream from curdling after it's mixed into the liquid and continues to simmer.

Place the reserved chicken (and any accumulated liquid back) into the sauce and cook (uncovered) for about 7-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Check and adjust the seasoning, if needed, of the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, then stir in a small amount of hot water.

To serve, divide and spoon the sauce onto plates. Place the chicken pieces over the sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh tarragon.