Published on January 4, 2013 by
Kurt Hargis
Last Updated on February 7, 2020 by
Kurt Hargis
One of the challenges I set out for myself this New Year is to cook at home more. I have a pretty decent amount of go to dishes that I can cook, but I want to push myself to expand my repertoire. I want to try to cook twenty-five new dishes this year. Hopefully, I will learn new techniques and be able to save some money by eating at home more often.
The first new recipe I cooked this year: Chicken with Tarragon Cream. I got the recipe from a bargain book called Chicken. Yes, it’s all about chicken.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Light Olive Oil
4 Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Shallots, finely chopped
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
1 1/2 Cups Fresh Mushrooms (Sliced)
2/3-Cup Dry White Wine
1 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Fresh Tarragon
Well, those are supposed to be the ingredients. Winn Dixie didn’t have any fresh tarragon nor did I, so I went with dried tarragon. Also, I used extra-virgin olive oil due to that was what I had. Due to buying Tyson, I had three large breasts that I halved so I really had half a dozen breasts. Except that one of the halves was almost all fat, so I just discarded it before I put it around my waistline.
All prepared before I turned on the stove.
I started cooking the chicken in olive oil until they became golden brown. Then, I turned down the heat and cooked them until they internal temperature was around 140. Putting the chicken aside, I cooked the shallots and garlic making sure I didn’t brown the either. I then added the mushrooms and basically stir-fried them for about 3-4 minutes. I put the chicken back in and added the wine. I let that cook until most, but not all, of the wine evaporated. I finally add the cream, the tarragon, and salt and pepper. I let that cook for a while until the cream thickened some.
What looks like the simpliest part is the hardest…making the mushrooms tender without burning the garlic and the shallots.
Meanwhile, I baked some asparagus (with a little olive oil and Cajun seasoning). I placed the chicken and the asparagus on the plate and spooned sauce over both.
The finished plate
Due to the time, I’m not sure I would cook this mid week again. Also, due to the cream, it’s heavy on the calories. This could be a dish reserved for dinner parties or just a nice stay at home weekend meal.
Kurt Hargis, aka Mr. Nola Nerd, is an award-winning Louisiana educator and co-creator of NolaNerdCouple.com, where he shares his family’s love for travel, food, music, and pop culture. Accredited by events like Star Wars Celebration and Fan Expo to cover them as media, Kurt combines his expertise in education with his passion for storytelling to inspire curiosity, inclusivity, and connection in every space he creates. You can reach me at nolanerdcouple@gmail.com
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5 thoughts on “Cooking: Chicken with Tarragon Cream”
Next time do the mushrooms first and then add the shallots and garlic. And leave the mushrooms for 3-5 minutes before turning them – do not stir fry them. The results are much better.
Good for you on your challenge to cook more and try new things! I\’m sure you\’ll succeed and do more than your 25 recipe goal 🙂 Like how this dish sounds — great flavor and ingredients! Best of luck!
Really wish I would have had fresh tarragon. I know it would have made it better. We had leftovers and my wife said it was even better the next day…the sauce was thicker.
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Next time do the mushrooms first and then add the shallots and garlic. And leave the mushrooms for 3-5 minutes before turning them – do not stir fry them. The results are much better.
I have a big tarragon plant in my backyard. You are welcome to have as much as you\’d like!
Good for you on your challenge to cook more and try new things! I\’m sure you\’ll succeed and do more than your 25 recipe goal 🙂 Like how this dish sounds — great flavor and ingredients! Best of luck!
Really wish I would have had fresh tarragon. I know it would have made it better. We had leftovers and my wife said it was even better the next day…the sauce was thicker.
I love how some dishes just get better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to settle over night. Bet it was really good.