Chicken and tarragon is a winning combination of flavours. Cook up dinner for four with chicken pieces in rich sauce served with creamy mash potatoes.
Ingredients
For the chicken
1.5kg/3lb 5oz chicken, cut into eight pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp olive oil
110g/4oz butter
110g/4oz smoked streaky bacon, sliced into 1cm/½in pieces
125g/4½oz shallots, thickly sliced
150g/5½oz chestnut mushrooms
2 tbsp tomato purée
175ml/6fl oz white wine
400ml/14fl oz chicken stock
1 small bunch tarragon
3 tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
For the mash
1kg/2lb 4oz floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
125g/4½oz butter
125ml/4fl oz double cream
freshly ground white pepper
Method
For the chicken, season the chicken with salt and black pepper then toss in the flour to just coat.
Heat a large pan until hot, add the oil, a knob of the butter and half the chicken and fry skin side down for 3-4 minutes until golden-brown.
Turn and fry on the other side for another 1-2 minutes, then remove from the pan. Repeat with another knob of butter and the rest of the chicken.
Add another knob of butter and the bacon and fry until golden-brown then add the shallots, mushrooms and tomato purée and fry for another couple of minutes.
Add the wine and bring to a simmer, gently scraping up any cooked on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the stock then return the chicken to the pan with half the tarragon and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender and the liquid slightly reduced.
While the chicken cooks, skin and seed the tomatoes. Bring a pan of water to the boil, take out the stalk of the tomato and make a cross on the bottom.
Drop the tomatoes into the water and simmer for 10-15 seconds until the skin starts to peel away.
Lift straight out into a bowl of iced water and peel off the skin.
Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds then cut into small dice. Roughly chop the remaining tarragon.
Add the tomatoes, flatleaf parsley and tarragon then check the seasoning.
For the mash place the potatoes into a pan of salted water and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Drain and return to the pan, then place over the heat for one minute to drive off any excess moisture.
Pass through a potato ricer back into the pan (or mash with a fork) then add the butter and cream, beating to form a smooth mash.
Season with salt and white pepper.
Serve two pieces of chicken per person with the sauce spooned over and a dollop of mash.
Source: BBC FOODS
