Chicken thigh with vinegar, cream and tarragon

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg Chicken thighs with skin (with skin and bone, about 4 thighs)
• 1 piece White onion (coarse, sliced)
• 2 pieces Shallots (sliced)
• 1 piece Garlic clove (very large, sliced)
• 20 leaves Fresh tarragon (roughly chopped)
• 30 ml Tomato paste (concentrated)
• 2 tablespoons Neutral oil (e.g., sunflower oil) (for searing)
• 500 ml Dry Burgundy white wine
• 500 ml Unsalted chicken broth
• 200 ml Red wine vinegar
• 500 ml 35% cooking cream (to incorporate at the end of cooking)
• to taste Salt
• to taste Black pepper

Instructions

1. Preparation

   Slice the onion, shallots and the large garlic clove. Roughly chop the tarragon leaves. Set aside separately.

   Time: PT10M

2. Heat the pan

   Heat the pan over high heat, add a drizzle of neutral oil and let it heat until very hot (about 180°C).

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: 180°C

3. Sear the chicken thighs

   Place the thighs skin‑side down in the pan. Let brown for 2 min without moving, then flip and repeat until a nice golden and crispy color is achieved (about 10 min total).

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: 180°C

4. Cook the aromatics

   Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and shallots. Sweat until lightly colored (5 min).

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: medium

5. Add the garlic

   Stir in the sliced garlic and cook 1 min while stirring, careful not to burn it.

   Time: PT1M

   Temperature: medium

6. Tomato paste

   Add the tomato paste, cook 1 min while mixing well.

   Time: PT1M

   Temperature: medium

7. Vinegar reduction

   Turn the heat to high, pour the red wine vinegar and reduce quickly until a syrupy consistency is reached.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: high

8. Deglaze with white wine

   Pour in the white wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the alcohol evaporates (about 10 min).

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: high

9. Add broth and tarragon

   Stir in the chicken broth and chopped tarragon, reduce another 3 min.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: high

10. Final cooking of the chicken

    Return the thighs to the pan, cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 min until the meat is cooked through (internal temperature 75°C).

    Time: PT15M

    Temperature: medium

11. Finish with cream

    Remove the chicken, increase the heat, add the cooking cream and reduce the sauce for 5 min until silky.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: high

12. Seasoning and reheating

    Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, reduce 2‑3 min if needed, then return the chicken for 2 min to reheat in the sauce.

    Time: PT3M

    Temperature: medium

13. Plating

    Place the thighs on plates, generously spoon sauce over, serve immediately with Parisian potatoes or mash.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

325

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

5 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

0 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Chicken thighs with skin: chicken drumsticks, boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Instead of White onion: extra shallot
• Instead of Shallots: red onion
• Instead of Garlic clove: garlic powder ½ tsp
• Instead of Fresh tarragon: Herbes de Provence
• Instead of Tomato paste: tomato puree
• Instead of Neutral oil (e.g., sunflower oil): grapeseed oil
• Instead of Dry Burgundy white wine: other dry white wine
• Instead of Unsalted chicken broth: water + bouillon cube
• Instead of Red wine vinegar: white wine vinegar
• Instead of 35% cooking cream: thick crème fraîche
• Instead of Salt: sea salt
• Instead of Black pepper: white pepper

Equipment Needed

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Heavy‑bottomed skillet
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cup (optional)
• Kitchen thermometer (optional)
• Pan‑compatible lid
• Serving plate

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Sear the chicken thighs to achieve a crispy skin
• Vinegar reduction
• Deglaze with white wine and reduce
• Final chicken cooking over medium heat
• Finish with cream

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use fresh tarragon; it adds an incomparable aniseed note.
• Deglaze with white wine before adding the broth to extract caramelized bits.
• For an even creamier sauce, add a knob of cold butter just before serving.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers, up to 3 days.

Freezer: Can be frozen without the cream, up to 2 months. Add the cream when reheating.

Room temperature: Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the sauce the day before and gently reheat before serving.
• The thighs can be seared in advance, then finished in the oven at 180 °C for 10 min.