Chicken Fricassee with Tarragon

Rating: 4.25 stars
4 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 2
  • 4 star values: 1
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Fricassee is a classic French stew of chicken and vegetables, cooked in white wine and finished with a touch of cream. The light tarragon-infused sauce begs to be sopped up with crusty bread. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Spring 2004

Victoria Abbott Riccardi
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add chicken; cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

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  • Add shallots to the pan; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.

  • Add broth; bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan; add carrot, mushrooms and tarragon sprigs. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender and no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes.

  • Transfer the chicken to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Discard tarragon sprigs. Increase heat to medium-high. Simmer the cooking liquid for 2 to 3 minutes to intensify flavor. Add cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in sour cream, mustard and chopped tarragon. Serve immediately.

Tips

Substitution Note: You can use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon instead of fresh. Add it all at once in Step 3.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
189 calories; 5.8 g total fat; 1.7 g saturated fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 424 mg sodium. 696 mg potassium; 19.4 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 6.8 g protein; 3093 IU vitamin a iu; 7 mg vitamin c; 52 mcg folate; 49 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 31 mg magnesium;
Exchanges:

1 starch 61/2 lean meat

Reviews (4)

Read More Reviews
4 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 2
  • 4 star values: 1
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
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EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
01/12/2015
Basically good but needed a few adjustments I used only chicken thighs which tolerate the long cooking better. They took about 30 minutes to get done. At the end of the simmering time when the chicken was removed I brought the temperature up and reduced the liquid by half in about 10 minutes. I then added the cornstarch. Instead of low fat sour cream I used 1/4 cup of crema (Mexican style sour cream). I know it has more calories and fat but that is only 1 T per serving. I also added about 1/2 t more salt. I served it in deep plates (like shallow bowls) with crusty French bread. It was very good. Pros: Nice flavor from the shallots and tarragon Cons: too much liquid not enough salt Read More
Jennifer26
Rating: 5 stars
03/02/2014
This was so good. Although I did use heavy cream instead of sour cream and I forgot to throw in the chopped tarragon (too bad because I love tarragon) but it was still delicious. The sauce didn't thicken much at all and it would have been nice if it had been thicker. But I liked the sauce so much that I stood there and at it with a spoon. Read More
Nikki Strandskov
Rating: 4 stars
03/07/2013
Worth the time We get our chicken from a local organic farm and the chicken breasts don't come skinned or cut up and are quite large. So this took quite a bit longer than I thought it would. I also wonder if shallots have gotten bigger since three shallots made a cup of minced. Sauce was a bit thin but delicious. I will make it again. Pros: Delicious and didn't feel like diet food Cons: Took much longer than promised Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
10/30/2011
This was awesome a big hit for dinner and not overly heavy. To save time I used boneless chicken breasts and thighs that were pre-trimmed. I added a bit more broth for the sauce and it turned out absolutely wonderful. Definitely is going in my recipe book and will be done over again though I may make it a bit richer with more spices. Read More
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