French Bistro Chicken with Bacon, Tarragon and Crème Fraîche

This base recipe came from Dish and I’ve very slightly tweaked it. It is a classic French recipe I’ve been cooking for years, I never tire of it. A bowl of super creamy mashed potatoes and cooked green beans and or broccolini are the perfect accompaniments.

Easy to cook, “smells” amazing while cooking, yummy to eat and “good enough” to serve to friends as a dinner party main dish

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter
6 - 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cut into halves or thirds depending on their size
sea salt and ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed or a squeeze of garlic paste
2 cups chicken stock
1.5 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
6 rashers streaky bacon, thinly sliced
1.5 teaspoons dried tarragon
1.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

Cooking Instructions

1.      Heat the olive oil and butter in a sauté pan over a medium heat.

2.      Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes. Turn over and cook for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3.      Add the onion, bacon, tarragon, garlic and a pinch of salt to the pan. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the stock and bring to a boil.

4.      Add the chicken with any juices, cover and cook over a gentle heat until the chicken is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.

5.      Whisk together the mustards and crème fraîche, stir into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Scatter over the parsley.

Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans and/or broccolini (I steam them but you can cook them using your preferred method)