Chicken Casserole with Mustard & Tarragon

I made this hearty dish twice in the month of December. It is really satisfying on snowy days!

1/4 cup cup extra-virgin olive oil
4# chicken, cut into pieces (I cut each chicken breast into halves)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
11 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 Tb chopped tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried (I have also used sage in place of tarragon)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 Tb of olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat, and cook chicken in batches until golden. Remove from dish.

Add the remaining oil to the casserole and cook the onion, leek, and garlic over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook 5-7 minutes or until they are soft and browned. Add the tarragon, chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, and mustard, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the casserole dish and season well. Cover.

Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook for 1 hour or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Season to taste and serve over rice or with potatoes.

Serves 4-6.

Easy Weeknight Dinner: Chicken with Tarragon

Known as Poulet à l’Estragon in French, this simple, classic home-style dish was a favorite of James Beard, especially because it featured his favorite herb, tarragon. The French incorporate tarragon into a myriad of dishes and condiments, from béarnaise sauce to vinegar. And, according to Beard, it’s “the best friend a chicken ever had.”

Yield:4 servings

Ingredients:
1 5 pound chicken, cut up in quarters
½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper to taste
8-10 shallots or 10-12 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
4 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped or 2 tablespoons dried
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method:Melt butter and oil in a covered skillet large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. When the butter is hot, add the chicken pieces skin side down and brown. Turn them over and brown the other side. This will take about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper them well. If you don’t have a large enough skillet, after browning the pieces place them in a covered Dutch oven or casserole and continue cooking.

Add the shallots or scallions. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer very, very slowly for 20 minutes or slightly more if the chickens are on the large side.

Remove the cover, increase the heat slightly, and add the white wine, tarragon, and parsley, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn the chicken pieces again, and cook briskly for 3 or 4 minutes to reduce the sauce a little.

Serve with tiny new potatoes.

James Beard "Beard on Food" (1974)