Comfort Food Recipe Tarragon Chicken Fricassée
Ashley Tinker · Main Course · Poultry · Provencal Recipes · TasteChicken Fricassée is my winter go-to when I want something comforting and delicious. The tarragon and chicken compliment each other so well in this rich delicious sauce.
A fricassée is a dish of stewed or fried pieces of meat served in a thick white sauce.

Tarragon Chicken Fricassée
A traditional chicken Fricassée flavoured with a Tarragon, mustard and veggie cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 200 gr smoked bacon or lardons/pancetta
- 1 free-range chicken cut into 6 pieces**
- 3 leeks green tops removed, sliced
- 3 carrots large, diced
- 2 shallot(s) sliced
- 250 gr button mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms, diced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 bunch tarragon chopped finely with stems removed
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs lemon thyme
- 300 ml dry cider or dry white wine
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 tbsp hot Dijon mustard or more if you like your mustard like me
- zest of one lemon
- parsley chopped finely, for garnish
Instructions
- ** NOTE - Fermier chicken in France-tasty! Ask your butcher to cut the chicken in to 6 for you. Or you can use de-boned chicken breasts and thighs instead of a whole chicken if you choose not to deal with the bones while eating. However, the recipe is more flavourful with a whole chicken.
- Prepare all your veggies so they’re ready to go.
- Place a large knob of butter into a heavy bottomed pan on medium-high heat.
- Brown the chicken pieces all over.
- Remove from the heat.
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Place bacon, leeks, shallots and carrots into the pan.
- Soften for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the flour, cook for another minute.
- De-glaze with the cider, cook for another minute.
- Add the bay leaf, thyme, tarragon, stock, and chicken to the pot.
- The chicken should be covered in liquid.
- Add more stock if necessary.
- Cover and cook on a low simmer for 35 minutes.
- Add the chopped mushrooms.
- Remove the lid from the pan if the sauce needs thickening.
- Add the mustard and cream.
- Stir well.
- Cook for another 15 minutes.
- The chicken should be falling off the bone.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add the lemon zest and parsley.
- Serve with steamed rice, fresh baguette or potatoes and a cold glass of white wine.
- Yum.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
Discovering that Marseille is for FoodiesRelated Provence Articles
Eating My Way Through Provence My Favourite Restaurants in Les Alpilles
August 4, 2025
If you really want to get to know a place, start with what’s on the plate. During my recent trip through Provence, I followed my appetite across markets, bistros, and white-tablecloth restaurants — and each meal felt like a little window into the region’s soul. The food wasn’t just delicious; it was rooted. Honest. The …
Simple Seafood Dish Shrimp in a Sweet Paprika Sauce
July 28, 2025
During our trip to Paris, I created this easy seafood dish after a trip to the Les Halles market. I used three vendors: Poissonnerie Chez Miguel for the excellent shrimp — their array of seafood was so fresh and beautiful (with thanks for allowing me to use the photo above of the shrimp); I bought …
Summer Soup Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Recipe from Moulin Castelas
July 22, 2025
If you’d like to taste some of the best olive oil in Provence, look no further than the Moulin Castelas, situated just below the famous fortress of Les Baux-de-Provence. The olive mill and adjacent property are in the Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) Vallée des Baux de Provence in the Alpilles. This recipe for a perfect …
Make Lavender and Honey Ice Cream this Summer
July 14, 2025
Who doesn’t love ice cream on a hot summer day? This recipe combines culinary lavender and honey into a delicious ice cream that will “transport” you to Provence with every bite. Thank you to ElsaLenthal.com for allowing us to republish this recipe. Artisan Creations with Lavender Elsa Lenthal started Fuseaux de Lavande de Provence in …
No Comment