Cream Puffs With Tarragon Chicken Hash Food

CHICKEN BREASTS IN TARRAGON CREAM

Steps:

• 1. Browning the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, carefully lower the chicken breasts into the pan and cook them for about 1 minute on each side just until hey begin to brown slightly. Transfer the still-raw chicken to a plate.
• 2. Poaching in cream. Reduce the heat under the skillet to low. Add the shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until softened but not browned, less than 1 minute. Add the vermouth and cook for 30 seconds, then add the cream and half the tarragon. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and adjust the heat so that the cream gently simmers. Cover and cook until the chicken is firm and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. To check for doneness, cut into the thickest part of a breast with a paring knife ¿ there should be no sign of pink or translucence.
• 3. Finishing. Transfer the chicken breasts to a warmed serving platter or individual dinner plates. The sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. If it is too thin, continue to simmer it for about 1 minute and it will thicken. Stir in the remaining tarragon and the lemon juice, then taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve right away with buttered egg noodles.

CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
• Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.
• Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Brush the surface of the rounds with the egg wash to knock down the points (you may not use all the egg wash). Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
• To fill the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.
• Notes about the recipe: The moisture in the eggs turns to steam and puffs the batter to try to release itself. You can fill them with anything.

CREAMY CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS & TARRAGON

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 8-10 mins until tender, then drain and keep warm in the pan. Season the chicken with ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Gently fry the chicken with the onion and garlic for 5 mins until both are lightly browned. Turn over the chicken once and stir the onion regularly.
• Pour over the stock, add 2 sprigs of tarragon and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 mins, then turn the chicken, add the asparagus and cook for 3 mins more. Chop the remaining tarragon.
• Stir the crème fraîche and tarragon into the pan with the chicken and heat through, stirring, for a few secs. Serve with the new potatoes.

CREAMY MUSTARD & TARRAGON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan. Season the chicken breasts, then brown for 1 min on each side. Remove from the pan, then set aside.
• Add the crème fraîche, mustards and tarragon to the pan, stirring to combine everything. Bring to a simmer, then return the chicken to the pan, spooning some of the sauce over the fillets. Lift into the oven, then bake for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through and sauce bubbling. Great with green beans and rice.

CREAM PUFFS WITH TARRAGON CHICKEN HASH

Steps:

• Remove the skin and bones from the chicken breast and discard. Cut the meat into very small cubes. There should be about one and one-half cups. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended, add the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, stir in the cream.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, cayenne and tarragon. Let simmer, stirring, about two minutes.
• Add the chicken and stir. Bring to the boil.
• Slice off the tops of all the cream puffs. Spoon an equal portion of the mixture into each cream-puff bottom. Replace the tops and serve.