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Sauted Chicken with Mussels, Tarragon and Chardonnay

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  • Sauted Chicken with Mussels, Tarragon and Chardonnay

    Ok so we probably don't have mussel beds but a number of us have chooks and I should think most of us can manage garlic and tarragon. Definitely not one for those on a diet (sorry!) nor something for every day. We cook this three to four times a year.

    1 chicken approx 1.5kg (3 1/2 lb)
    1tbsp olive oil
    50g (2oz) butter
    2 tbsps tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar (good excuse to make your own)
    300ml (10fl oz ) Chicken Stock
    300ml (10fl oz ) Chardonnay wine (oh dear that leaves over half a bottle - hic!)
    25g (1oz) fresh tarragon
    4 garlic cloves, peeled
    900g (2lb) mussels, cleaned
    300ml double cream
    juice of 1/2 lemon
    salt and freshly ground black pepper.

    Joint the chicken into 8 pieces: to do this, pull one leg away from the body and cut through the sin, down towards where the thighbone joins the main carcass. Twist the leg so that the ball and socket joint is exposed and cut through it to detach the leg. Repeat on other side. Cut each leg in half through the joint and cut off and discard feet bones from the end of each drumstick. Now cut through the skin down the centre of the breastbone and ease back the breast meat slightly. Cut along either side of the breastbone using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife. Open up the bird and remove the breast and wing joints by cutting horizontally through the rib bones. Cut the breast and wing joint diagonally in half so that each piece has an equal amount of breast meat. Cut off the tips of the wings. Use backbone, breastbone, wing tips and feet bones to make stock (or bin)
    Season the chicken pieces with a little s&p. Heat oil and butter in a large, deep frying pan (wok is good), add chicken pieces and fry skin-side down for 10 mins or until well-browned. Turn over the continue cooking for 5 mins. Transfer breast meat portions to a plate and continue to fry legs and thighs for another 5 mins.
    Remove remaining chook for the pan and pour away excess fat. Add vinegar and boil until it is almost all evaporated. Add chicken stock and wine and boil to reduce to half its original volume.
    Return chicken to pan and add half tarragon with its stalks and the whole garlic cloves. Partly cover with a lid and simmer very gently for 30 mins until chicken is tender and cooked through.
    Add the mussels to the chicken in the pan, cover and cook over a high heat for about 3 mins until the mussels have opened. Discard any that remain closed.Lift the chicken and mussels out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a warmed servng dish cover and keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid to remove the tarragon and garlic, then return it to the pan and bring back to the bol. Boil until reduced by half, then taste it. It should be really well flavoured. Chop the remaining tarragon leaves, setting aside a few sprigs for garnish.
    Add the cream to the pan and boil for 2-3 mins until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped tarragon and season with s&p if needed. Simmer for 1 min to release some of the flavour from the tarrogon then pour over the chicken and mussels. Serve garnished with the reserved tarragon sprigs and accompanied by a tossed green salad and boiled new pots.

    And another glass/bottle of wine of course.
    Enjoy
    Bright Blessings
    Earthbabe

    If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

  • #2
    Drool, drool, drool!!!! My mouth is already watering EB!! Think I may have to try this sometime soon!
    Blessings
    Suzanne (aka Mrs Dobby)

    'Garden naked - get some colour in your cheeks'!

    The Dobby's Pumpkin Patch - an Allotment & Beekeeping blogspot!
    Last updated 16th April - Video intro to our very messy allotment!
    Dobby's Dog's - a Doggy Blog of pics n posts - RIP Bella gone but never forgotten xx
    On Dark Ravens Wing - a pagan blog of musings and experiences

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    • #3
      Love Chardonnay,mussels and chicken in that order but have never tasted tarragon? (I know, shame on me!) Taste like anything I know do you think?
      How do you explain a taste, I know, but go on give it a try! Pretty please?
      My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
      to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

      Diversify & prosper


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      • #4
        Do you think it would be ok without the mussels? Or do they add an essential taste? OH is very allergic to all shellfish, but it does sound v-e-r-y nice.
        Last edited by JennieAtkinson; 06-11-2006, 11:36 PM.
        ~
        Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
        ~ Mary Kay Ash

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        • #5
          That sounds lovely!
          Have done a similar,very basic , child-friendly one (which everyone seems to like) for a while now which may be worth trying :-

          flash fry small pieces of chicken, add garlic, salt and tarragon.
          When cooked add cream or yogut and serve with mashed potatoes.

          Very quick and easy!

          Prefer the idea of yours though Earthbabe!!
          "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

          Location....Normandy France

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          • #6
            Well here goes

            Snadger - Tarragon is a difficult flavour to describe but I'll think about it.
            Jennie - You shouldn't lose out too much. Alternatively you can make it all together up to that point then take a portion out for OH and continue as before. Or the other way round. You may want to look at the vacuum packed mussels if doing it that way and add them at the end warmed through. We have resorted to these when unable to get fresh.
            Nicos - that sounds nice but our four year old happily munches through a plateful of mussels so a mussel free version is only an option for my mum if she is here and we go for it.
            Bright Blessings
            Earthbabe

            If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

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            • #7
              That sounds lovely. Seems a good candidate for Sunday dinner

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Earthbabe View Post
                Well here goes

                Snadger - Tarragon is a difficult flavour to describe but I'll think about it.
                Jennie - You shouldn't lose out too much. Alternatively you can make it all together up to that point then take a portion out for OH and continue as before. Or the other way round. You may want to look at the vacuum packed mussels if doing it that way and add them at the end warmed through. We have resorted to these when unable to get fresh.
                Nicos - that sounds nice but our four year old happily munches through a plateful of mussels so a mussel free version is only an option for my mum if she is here and we go for it.
                No prob Earthbabe, I have googled it and part of a recipe was:-

                "What really sets this soup apart from all the other bean soups is the seasoning: the sweet, licorice flavor of fresh tarragon, just picked from the garden."

                Love licorice, so deffo sounds like a winner!!!
                My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
                to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

                Diversify & prosper


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                • #9
                  That sounds about right. I asked Mr E and he said "very subtle, aniseedy, licoricey flavour"

                  Hope you all enjoy it.
                  Bright Blessings
                  Earthbabe

                  If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

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                  • #10
                    I was going to say "Pernod"! taste......... DDL
                    Bernie aka DDL

                    Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

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                    • #11
                      Oooo no def not in my experience. Had a bad one with pernod in my teens. Tarragon much too subtle for that.
                      Bright Blessings
                      Earthbabe

                      If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

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                      • #12
                        Jennie as a postscript I made a pasta sauce with ham, garlic, cream and tarragon and the flavour was similar to the chicken without the mussels. You don't lose muchat all by omitting the mussels the tarragon and tarragon wine vinegar are the key ingredients for the flavour
                        Last edited by Earthbabe; 09-11-2006, 11:37 PM.
                        Bright Blessings
                        Earthbabe

                        If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

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                        • #13
                          Well done - lifted directly from Fruits of the Sea

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                          • #14
                            It's a Rick Stein recipe - from his Fruits of the Sea book

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                            • #15
                              No wonder it sounds so yummy!!
                              "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

                              Location....Normandy France

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