Braised Chicken with Shallots & Tarragon

Outstandingly delicious, 10/10 for sure! I made this with my mom; everyone (including us, of course) loved it. The tarragon is really what makes this dish different and special. We served it with egg noodles--perfect pairing!

Link to original recipe: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/braised-chicken-with-shallots-and-mushrooms.html

Recipe below contains our modifications.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in) and 4 chicken drumsticks

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

olive oil (enough to coat the chicken pieces)

6 medium shallots, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bottle (750mL) Barefoot Chardonnay (or other full bodied white wine)

3 T. dried porcini mushrooms (in small pieces)

1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

2 T. fresh tarragon, finely chopped, divided

3/4 c. heavy cream

~1 T. fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on each piece of chicken, then rub to coat all over. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat a large, heavy skillet (we used cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken pieces and brown on both sides (we went about 4 min. per side). Transfer to a plate and repeat for remaining half of chicken pieces.

3. Check amount of oil remaining in pan; if it is less than 1 T., add some olive oil to reach that amount. If there is more than 1 T., pour off excess to leave about 1 T. in pan (we did not have to pour any off). Leave pan off burner for a minute (to cool a little), then return to burner on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots/garlic have softened (around 3-4 min). 

4. Heat oven to 350°F.

5. Add the wine to pan. Increase heat to level needed to bring to a boil. Let boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (around 12 min.).

6. Turn off heat. Stir in the porcini and 1 T. of the tarragon. Pour mixture into a roasting pan deep enough to hold all the sauce plus the chicken (we used a 13"x9"x3"). Place chicken pieces in the sauce skin-side up and transfer to oven. Roast for 35-40 min, or until chicken has reached internal temperature of 165°F.

7. Increase oven temperature to 400°F and roast for additional 5 minutes (to crisp skin). Remove from oven and transfer chicken pieces to plate, then cover to keep warm.

8. Skim any excess fat from top of sauce (we didn't have much, so we skipped this). Place pan on burner (or transfer sauce to a pan that fits your burner) and heat sauce to boiling. Keep it at boiling, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 min, or until reduced by about half.

9. Stir in the cream, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.  Return chicken to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Turn chicken pieces to coat fully in sauce. 

10. Sprinkle with remaining 1 T. of tarragon and the Italian parsley. Serve with desired side and enjoy!