"If I'm engaged to someone and they serve me chicken, the wedding is off," proclaimed our 7-year-old son. Hubby and I nearly choked on our chicken dinner as we laughed hysterically at our young son's observation that we served a lot of chicken in our household. We explained that this was the wise choice for dinner as Grandma lived with us and too much beef was not healthy for her.
What's my reason now for serving a weekly menu chock full of chicken? Almost the same. Hubby and I have grown older and need to restrict our intake of beef much as my mother did years ago.
So, here's another chicken dish that is easy, full of tangy flavor, and worthy of serving to your best company.
"QUICK AND EASY TARRAGON CHICKEN"
from
365 Ways To Cook Chicken
by Cheryl Sedaker
(Yes, I really own a cookbook on just chicken with that many recipes!)
2 TBL butter
1 TBL vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 C dry white wine or vermouth (wine always makes everything taste gourmet)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TBL chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp dried (I use dried)
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 C heavy cream (I typically use 2% fat, regular milk)--the cream makes the sauce congeal better
1. In a large frying pan, melt butter in oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes a side. Remove and set aside. (In this picture, I am using an All Clad Stainless Steel frying pan [because it's made in the USA]. However, I think a cast iron pan [also made in the US] browns the meat just as well, thickens the sauce a little better, but leaves only a smidgen of sauce to pour on your chicken after wards. Try both types of pans and see which one you like best. Non-stick pans do not brown the meat.)
2. Add wine to the pan. (Make sure you have a splatter shield on the pan when you do this and the stove hood on) Bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in mustard, tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk in cream (milk) and boil until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
3. Return chicken to pan; turn in sauce to coat, and simmer 5 minutes or a little longer until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; spoon sauce over all.
Buon Appetito
From My Heart to Yours,
Labels: Food on Fridays, Recipes
