Roasted chicken is a go-to for many to serve at dinner parties or family gatherings. And, as much as I love this classic dish, the best part for me is always the crispy skin and the dark meat as the white is usually dry. Dry breast no more. Once discovering this amazing new method of roasting chicken, I have never gone back.
While creating my last cookbook, The BC Wine Loverѻý Cookbook, CheckMate Wineryѻý winemaker Phil McGahan contributed his mom Florenceѻý recipe for roasted tarragon chicken. I must admit that I was skeptical of the recipe at first because of the unusual method she used for cooking her bird- which is more like steaming or poaching.
Phil grew up in Western Queensland, Australia, as the youngest of 10 children. His parents, Jack and Florence, supported their large brood by raising their own chickens and keeping a quarter-acre vegetable garden. Phil says, “Most Saturday mornings, my dad and I would kill and dress two chickens for our familyѻý dinner. One of my momѻý specialties was this tarragon chicken recipe, made with fresh tarragon picked from my dadѻý vegetable garden. The licorice character of the tarragon was always a great pairing with the chicken.”
The only sacrifice with this unbelievably moist chicken recipe (yes, the breast too!) is the crispy skin. The colour is there though – Florenceѻý trick of browning the chicken gives the appearance of an open heat roasted chicken. Still, itѻý worth the sacrifice hands down to have a perfectly moist chicken every time. And gravy is off-the-hook.
I have streamlined this recipe over the last couple of years as it is my husbandѻý favourite and I make it almost weekly. Make sure that your chicken is the correct weight for the timing to work on this recipe. And, the pot is important to seal in the steam - I use my trusty Le Creuset oval shaped Dutch oven and it is perfect.
Tarragon is my favourite herb. So French and fabulous, it utterly transforms dishes (especially chicken, fish, potato, or egg recipes) into something special. I have had success in the past growing it in my garden and will try again this year.
Jennifer Schell Lirag is an international award-winning cookbook author, putting the spotlight on ѻý’s food, farm and drink community for over 15 years. Follow her on social media at @jenniferschell8 and visit
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Phil McGahanѻý momѻý recipe for roasted tarragon chicken
Ingredients:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 (3½ lb) free-range chicken
Salt and pepper
4 Tbsp tarragon leaves
¼ cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
⅔ cup chicken stock
⅔ cup chardonnay
1 Tbsp flour
⅔ cup cream
Preheat the oven to 390°F.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and season with salt. Mix 3 Tbsp the tarragon with half of the butter and the garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Form into a ball and insert into the bird cavity. In an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over low heat, melt the remaining butter.
Brown the chicken on both sides (I start breast side down so you only have to perform one flip of the bird) and then pour in beside the chicken, the chicken stock and wine and simmer for one minute to evaporate the alcohol.
Cover and roast in the oven for 80 minutes or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Remove the chicken to a plate, holding it over the pot to allow all the juices to drain into the pot.
Cover the chicken and allow to rest. Skim most of the surface fat from the juices in the pot and return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat and mix in the flour, whisking quickly, until the sauce boils and thickens and add the remaining one tablespoon of chopped tarragon.
Simmer for a minute, turn off heat and whisk in the cream. Carve the chicken and spoon the sauce over.
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Drink pairing:
2019 CheckMate
Capture Chardonnay
CheckMate Winery Chardonnay is our wine industryѻý most elite. The prices are high (all around $100 per bottle) reflecting the quality and craftsmanship in these very special wines. Do try to visit the beautiful winery in Oliver. CheckMate is owned by Anthony Von Mandl and the winery exclusively makes a series of Merlot and Chardonnay wines.
The natural ferment contributes a lifted, aromatic and complex nose. The palate opens with apple blossom, mandarin, honeycomb, spice and creamy stone fruits yet remains delicate with a long finish of sea salt and graphite.