Tarragon Chicken

This is French bistro cooking at its simplest. Chicken breasts get pounded thin, seared golden in butter and olive oil, then bathed in a pan sauce made from shallots, garlic, white wine, and a mix of beef and chicken stock reduced by half.

Pounding the breasts to ⅓-inch thickness isn’t optional. Thin cutlets cook through in 4 minutes per side without drying out, and the increased surface area means more golden, buttery crust on every piece.

The dual-stock approach is what gives this sauce its depth. Chicken stock alone would taste thin. The beef (or veal) stock adds body and richness that rounds out the wine and tarragon. Reducing by half concentrates all of it into a glossy, intensely flavored sauce that clings to the chicken.

Fresh tarragon goes in at the end, not during cooking. Heat kills its delicate anise flavor, so stirring it in just before serving keeps it bright and aromatic.

Chef Tips

• Pour off the frying fat before building the sauce. That greasy base would muddy the finished reduction.
• Use dry white wine, not sweet. Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio both work well.
• Reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon. If it’s still watery, it hasn’t gone far enough.
• Dried tarragon is a poor substitute here. The fresh herb is what makes this dish sing.

Variations

• Creamy tarragon: Stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream after reducing the stock for a richer, silkier sauce.
• Mushroom addition: Sauté sliced cremini mushrooms with the shallots for an earthier, more substantial sauce.