Chicken Thighs With Mushrooms And Tarragon Cream Recipes

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH MUSHROOMS AND TARRAGON CREAM

Steps:

• Preparation: Put a platter, small sheet pan or a pyrex 9x9 dish by the stove. Locate your tongs and spatter screen. Pat the chicken thighs dry to reduce spattering. Trim any extra fat and excess skin off of the chicken thighs and liberally season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Chicken: Heat a large oven proof skillet over medium high heat. When nice and hot, add two tablespoons of oil to the pan swirling it around to coat the entire bottom surface. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side-down and use a spatter screen if you have one. Set the timer for 7 minutes and check the chicken when the timer sounds. The skin should be a rich golden color and crispy and most of the fat should have been rendered. If not, let it go another 1 minute. Using tongs, flip the chicken thighs over and cook for another 7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. NOTE: It's better to do two batches than to crowd the pan and have soggy chicken skin. Pour out some of the rendered chicken fat between batches to reduce spattering.
• Mushrooms: Turn the pan down to medium. Pour out all of the oil that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan except for 2 tablespoons. I added the extra fat to my bacon grease jar. Add half of the mushrooms to the pan, arranging them into an even layer. Set the timer for 4 minutes, flip each one with the tongs and set for 4 more minutes. When browned, remove the mushrooms to the plate with the chicken. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350. If the pan is dry, add a little more oil. Cook the other half of the mushrooms 4 minutes per side and remove to the plate with the chicken and other mushrooms.
• Make the sauce: While the chicken or mushrooms are cooking, peel and slice the shallots and chop the tarragon. If the pan is dry after the mushrooms are browned, add a little more oil and then the shallots. Cook the shallots for about 3 minutes until they start to soften. Turn off the heat. Move the pan off of the burner. Add the wine, lemon juice, and bouillon to the pan. Put the pan back on the burner, turn it up to medium high and simmer approximately 1 1/2 - 2 minutes scraping up all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
• Add the cream, lemon zest, and tarragon to the pan, giving it a stir, and bring the cream up to a simmer. Add the chicken thighs back to to pan, skin-side-up and arrange mushrooms around in the empty spaces. If you wish, add a few sprigs of tarragon around the chicken thighs.
• Place the pan into the oven and cook uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees.
• Finishing touches: When the chicken comes out of the oven, stir the sauce and taste. Add salt if needed. For a thicker sauce, remove the chicken to a serving platter and simmer the sauce to desired thickness. Taste for seasoning and adjust after simmering.

CHICKEN WITH CREAMY MUSHROOM, MUSTARD AND TARRAGON SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. and have a baking sheet ready.
• In a non-stick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add chicken, skin side down and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side 2-3 minutes. Remove to baking sheet. Place in preheated oven to cook further while you make the sauce.
• Remove all but 1 Tbsp of fat from the skillet. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden, stirring often. Add onion and cook a minute or so more, or until the onion has softened . Add wine and cook over medium-high heat until only a few tablespoons remain. Add the chicken stock, cream, mustard and tarragon. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and allow to cook until the sauce is reduced by half, stirring occasionally (this may take 10 minutes or so). Taste sauce and add salt and pepper, as needed.
• Note: If sauce is not thick enough, combine 1 Tbsp cornstarch with a Tbsp or so of the sauce and stir until smooth. Return mixture to skillet and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens. Repeat as needed. If serving over pasta or rice, don't make the sauce too thick, so that when spooned over, it seeps to coat the rice or pasta.
• Remove chicken from oven and place on a serving platter or dish. Pour sauce over-top. Garnish with additional tarragon. Serve over buttered noodles, pasta or rice.