Chicken with tarragon and cream sauce

This emulates a dish served in a 3 Michelin Star restaurant in Lyon. To me it exemplifies French cooking - simple yet elegant and perfect for an after work dinner. 

It is served with rice and salad so get the rice on the go first, then do the salad while the chicken cooks. 

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts, tenderloins removed and sliced through the middle, lengthwise, to give you two thinner fillets

2 Tbsp olive oil

25g butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 Tbsp dried)

1 tsp French mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

Salt and pepper to season

In a pan, heat the oil until moderately hot. Add the chicken breasts (they should sizzle mildly when they hit the pan) and cook until golden but not browned.  

Gently turn them over, add the butter and garlic to the pan and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes. 

Combine the tarragon, mustard, lemon juice and wine and add to the pan. Simmer for 1 minute to “cook off” the alcohol,  then add the cream and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, basting the chicken breasts if you feel like it. Check that the chicken is cooked through – it should be firm to the touch and tender when cut.  

Serve with long grain rice and salad.