French Tarragon Chicken (Poulet à l'estragon)-2

Cooking Steps 1. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Heat butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear until golden brown (about 5-8 minutes), then flip and sear for another 2 minutes. Remove and set aside (the chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point). 2. Using the remaining fat in the pot, add the minced shallots and garlic. Sauté over medium-low heat until softened and fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). If adding mushrooms, sauté them at this stage. 3. Pour in the white wine, bring to a boil over high heat, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by half. 4. Add the chicken stock and return the seared chicken to the pot. Add half of the tarragon leaves and the reserved coarse stems. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. 5. Remove the chicken and plate it, keeping it warm. Discard the coarse tarragon stems from the pot. Turn the heat to high and reduce the remaining sauce slightly. Reduce heat to low, stir in the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, and the remaining half of the fresh tarragon leaves. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly (do not boil vigorously, as this can cause the cream to separate). 6. Pour the rich tarragon cream sauce over the chicken. Garnish with a few fresh tarragon leaves.