Tarragon Chicken

I'm a huge fan of Nigella Lawson's cookbooks (I've rarely watched the show - I much prefer her books, she's a formidable writer) and as soon as I heard that she had a new book coming out, I pre-ordered it. My copy of "Kitchen" came a while ago and I really enjoyed reading it, from cover to cover. There are so many recipes I want to try, but this is the first one I made. And I made a few adaptions, mainly due to the lack of vermouth in my fridge at the time. No matter, it turned out to be a delicious and easy meal. 

Tarragon Chicken

(printable recipe)

serves 2-3

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 garlic clove coarsely chopped

5 spring onions, chopped

1 tsp dried tarragon

450 g boneless chicken thighs (skinless, too)

80 ml vermouth, or a sweet-ish white wine (which is what I had - it turned out very well!)

1/2 tsp salt

60 ml cream (full-fat)

1 tbsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1/2 tsp white pepper, freshly ground

Heat the olive oil in a pan that you have a lid for - not a huge one, the chicken should fit quite snugly. Fry the spring onions, garlic and fried tarragon for a few minutes. 

Clean the chicken thighs, and place them in the pan. (Try to scrape the onion mixture on top of the chicken instead.) Fry on medium heat for five minutes, on just one side. 

Turn the chicken, and add the vermouth/wine and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover with the lid, lower the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. If it is, remove it from the pan and keep warm in a serving dish while you finish the sauce. Add cream, fresh tarragon and white pepper to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Pour this back over the chicken and serve right away. 

We had fried potato gnocchi with this which was delicious. (Just cook according to packet instructions, drain, and fry in a mixture of butter and oil for a few minutes until golden and slightly crispy.) Rice or pasta would be great as well.