I'm sure I'm just going to embarrass myself badly in front of the gourmet cooks here, but...
I wanted to share a weird recipe I sort of made up decades ago after I had a delicious meal in a restaurant of lobster with a cream based tarragon sauce on top.
I didn’t have any cookbooks to help me and no internet. I knew a dinner like that was a once a year dinner at best. Didn’t have a whole lot of extra money back then, going to school.
But I loved how it tasted and I wished I could make something that tasted kind of like that, again.
No way I was buying lobster. But I could afford some chicken breasts, so that’s what I bought. And I knew I needed cream and a bottle of tarragon so I bought those things too.
I like white rice, especially the medium or short grain, the high carb rice I guess. So I used that as my base or carb.
I wanted to add veggies to make it kind of a meal in one pot (except for making the rice in a rice cooker.).
So I experimented with this and that and found I loved a good bit of fresh minced garlic, a couple of bunches of scallions chopped up, and an absolute ton of those fresh tiny tomatoes. If I wanted to be cheaper, I used a couple cans of diced tomatoes,
So I created a bastardized recipe of sorts I call my tarragon chicken stuff.
I know it sounds awful. And for sure it is a billion calories and pretty much everything bad for you.
But, when I got the recipe where I wanted it, I really liked the taste of it. And I served it to others and they really liked my tarragon chicken stuff.
I’m pretty sure the French would have me shot for perverting their cooking and making this recipe.
The basic recipe is, saute small chunks of chicken breast in butter or butter and some cooking oil. Add minced garlic, like a tablespoon of it, lots of flavor, and some salt. So you have chicken that tastes like garlic and butter and salt. Use a big saucepot because you are going to add stuff as you go. One pot.
Deglaze with 1/4 cup of cognac or brandy. You could use white wine instead or maybe even apple cider.
Add a quart of cream or half and half. (Yeah, I know.). Sometimes I made a blonde roux with flour to make that cream thicker.
I used to add a whole bottle of tarragon but found I could use less tarragon if I used some fennel seeds which have a similar flavor. Because a whole bottle of spice gets pricey.
Don’t boil, but sort of semi-simmer to reduce the cream a little, while you toss in a couple cups of chopped green onions and about four cups of grape tomatoes.
Heat it all through pretty good, try not to boil because the half and half will separate and it won’t be as good, but you want the green onions cooked a bit and the tomatoes nice and hot and ready to burst in your mouth.
Put a good ladleful or two on top of a bowl of white rice. Season to taste.
I know, it probably sounds weird and maybe not good. It doesn’t look good on the plate, just a weird creamy chicken stew. Although the green onions and tomatoes add some nice color.
I figure this basic recipe could be changed a bunch. Add different veggies, use tofu instead of chicken, maybe try fat free half and half, I never tried that so I don’t know if it would be good or not. I only make this recipe now once a year because of the calories. But my husband is always excited and happy when I do make it.
The main thing is the cream, garlic, tarragon and salt.
I used to cook this for myself when I was at QM OBC and living in the BOQ where all the other LTs taking the course was living.
People would knock on my door to ask me “what is that delicious smelling stuff?” And I never cook for one, always cook for like 8 people so I would say, hey come on it and have some. And no one ever didn’t love it and ask me for the recipe. And get kind of frustrated because I didn’t have things exactly measured.
But the months I was there in the BOQ, almost every day I would smell my recipe, it spread like wildfire to the hundred or so other officers. I joke with my husband, as those fellow officers moved all around the world, my tarragon chicken stuff is gonna be famous worldwide LOL.
I’ve been wanting to share my recipe here for awhile but I knew people would see it for exactly what it is, a weird bastardized recipe created by a kid who had no idea what she was doing and created a Frankenstein recipe.
But it tastes yummy, I swear it does. So that’s why I’m sharing it. And you can vary it a whole bunch of different ways.
My husband asked me to cook it for Thanksgiving as a turkey is too big for us and we aren’t big fans of turkey anyway. He really does like my weird chicken tarragon stuff.
= new reply since forum marked as read
You had me at sauteed chicken in garlic and scallions, and a roux deglazed with cognac, although I may try sherry and add some shallots instead of scallions... Thanks for the ideas!
A classic French recipe would probably saute the garlic (maybe with some minced onion? Which would be cheaper than a few bunches of green onions...) before the chicken, but does it really matter? Re tarragon, if you can find some fresh (my local H-Mart often has it), fresh tastes even better than dried (or you might try growing some!
I love that you have the balls to go for cream! For veggies you might try a bit of carrot and celery to saute at the beginning with the onions and garlic. But: bravo to you -- nothing to be ashamed of
But when I did, I relied on my nose and taste when dealing with herbs and spices. I don’t think I ever tried tarragon ever. Now I wish I had. I am receiving immunotherapy which has left my nose but has pretty much deleted salt and umami. I still have bitter, sweet and sour. So coffee taste good. 
Well delete the donut for this diabetic
