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 Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission.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
Valentine’s Day Menu: Provencal-inspired Recipes for your Sweetheart
February 8, 2018
The team at Mirabeau Wine in Cotignac certainly know a thing or two about gold medal wine and how to pair it with good food. Before the Christmas holidays and not long after the 2017 grape harvest, we asked Jeany Cronk if she would curate a special Valentine’s Day menu to celebrate the flavours of …
A Savoury Chicken, Leek and Ham Pie
November 1, 2017
Tender chicken and ham chunks with leeks in a creamy sauce topped with flaky puff pastry. Serve the pie with green beans, broccoli or peas and a large glass of white wine.…
Recipe for Chicken and Truffles
February 15, 2017
Succulent chicken cooked in rich and deep flavoured Madeira, with mushrooms and shallots in a cream sauce decadently adorned with earthy, fragrant truffles.…
Recipe for Saffron Chicken with Potato and Courgette Bake
September 8, 2017
This savoury recipe for Saffron Chicken comes from the Mirabeau Wine kitchen in the Var. The chicken is matched with an easy side dish of potato and courgette (zucchini). …
No Comment