Braised Tarragon Chicken
This one-pot meal combines slow-cooked chicken with leeks, carrots and fresh herbs. Creamy mashed potatoes are the perfect accompaniment.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 1 chicken, about 4 lb., cut into 8 pieces
- 2 large leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
- 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Mashed potatoes for serving
Directions
In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1 Tbs. of the tarragon, 2 Tbs. of the parsley, the lemon juice, broth, carrots and chicken.
Transfer the insert to the slow-cooker base. Cover and cook on high according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the chicken and carrots are tender, about 3 hours; stir in the cream during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. tarragon and 1 Tbs. parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes alongside. Serves 4 to 6.