Julia Child Tarragon Chicken Recipe

Julia Child Tarragon Chicken (Poulet Poêlé à l’Estragon) is one of those dishes that makes you wonder why you ever settled for plain roast chicken. Julia writes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking (pages 249-251): “The buttery, aromatic steam in the casserole gives the chicken great tenderness and flavor.”

Tarragon and chicken are one of the great French pairings – like bread and butter, wine and cheese. The herb has a subtle anise note that somehow makes chicken taste more like itself. In this recipe, tarragon goes everywhere: inside the cavity, in the casserole, and into the silky brown sauce at the end.

The key is Julia’s casserole-roasting method. The chicken cooks covered, essentially steaming in herb-scented butter. The result is extraordinarily tender meat with deeply infused tarragon flavor.

Why casserole-roasting? The covered pot traps aromatic steam, giving the chicken tenderness and flavor that open roasting can’t match.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The perfect herb pairing: Tarragon’s anise notes transform chicken into something special.
• Incredibly tender: Casserole-roasting steams the bird in buttery, herb-scented vapor.
• Elegant brown sauce: Wine, stock, and tarragon reduced to silky richness.
• Complete dish: The chicken makes its own sauce as it cooks.
• Showstopper presentation: Decorated with blanched tarragon leaves.

Julia Child Tarragon Chicken Ingredients

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, Pages 249-251. Serves 4.

For the Chicken:

• 1 (3 lb) roasting chicken
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 3 Tb butter (2 Tb for cavity, 1 Tb for skin)
• 3-4 sprigs fresh tarragon (or ½ tsp dried) – for the cavity

For Browning:

• 2 Tb butter
• 1 Tb oil

For the Casserole:

• 3 Tb butter (if needed)
• ½ cup sliced onions
• ¼ cup sliced carrots
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3-4 sprigs fresh tarragon (or ½ tsp dried)

For the Brown Tarragon Sauce:

• 2 cups brown chicken stock (or 1 cup beef broth + 1 cup chicken broth)
• 1 Tb cornstarch blended with 2 Tb Madeira or port
• 2 Tb fresh minced tarragon (or parsley)
• 1 Tb softened butter (enrichment)

Optional Garnish:

• 10-12 fresh tarragon leaves, blanched 30 seconds and dried

How To Make Julia Child Tarragon Chicken

1. Preheat Oven: Set to 325°F.
2. Season the Cavity: Sprinkle inside with salt and pepper. Add 1 Tb butter and the tarragon sprigs. Truss the chicken and rub the skin with remaining butter.
3. Brown the Chicken: Heat butter and oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, lay chicken breast-down. Brown 2-3 minutes per side, turning carefully to avoid breaking the skin. Continue until golden all over (10-15 minutes total).
4. Remove Chicken: Set aside. Pour out browning fat if burned; add fresh butter if needed.
5. Cook the Vegetables: Sauté onions and carrots in the casserole for 5 minutes without browning. Add salt and tarragon sprigs.
6. Assemble for Roasting: Place chicken breast-up over the vegetables. Baste with casserole butter. Cover with foil, then the lid. Heat on stovetop until you hear sizzling.
7. Casserole-Roast: Transfer to oven. Roast 1 hour 10-20 minutes, basting once or twice. The chicken is done when drumsticks move freely and juices run clear yellow.
8. Rest the Chicken: Remove to serving platter. Discard trussing strings.
9. Make the Sauce: Add stock to the casserole. Simmer 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Skim off all but 1 Tb fat.
10. Thicken: Blend in the cornstarch-Madeira mixture. Simmer 1 minute, then boil until lightly thickened. Taste and add more tarragon if needed.
11. Finish: Strain into warmed sauceboat. Stir in fresh tarragon and swirl in the butter.
12. Serve: Spoon sauce over chicken. Decorate with blanched tarragon leaves.

About Tarragon: Fresh vs Dried

Fresh Tarragon	Dried Tarragon
Bright, complex anise flavor	More concentrated, less nuanced
Use 3-4 sprigs or 2 Tb minced	Use ½ tsp where recipe calls for sprigs
Add some at start, some at end	Add at start of cooking
Preferred for finishing sauces	Works well for infusing during cooking

Finding Fresh Tarragon: Look in the fresh herb section of well-stocked grocery stores. It’s easier to find in spring and summer. If unavailable, dried works – just use less.

No Tarragon Substitutes: Chervil has a mild anise note. In a pinch, a small amount of fresh fennel fronds works, but nothing truly replaces tarragon.

Recipe Tips

• Use tarragon generously. It appears three times: cavity, casserole, and sauce. Each layer builds the flavor.
• Don’t break the skin. When turning the chicken during browning, use wooden spoons or a towel. Broken skin leaks juices.
• Listen for sizzling. Before putting the casserole in the oven, heat it on the stovetop until you hear the chicken sizzle. This jumpstarts the cooking.
• Baste sparingly. Once or twice during roasting is enough. Too much basting cools the oven.
• Strain the sauce. Straining gives you a silky, elegant sauce without vegetable bits.

Mushroom Stuffing Variation

Julia’s Farce Duxelles – adds 10-15 minutes cooking time

For a more substantial dish, stuff the chicken with this mushroom mixture:

Ingredients:

• ¾ lb finely minced mushrooms
• 1 Tb butter + 1 Tb oil
• 1½ Tb minced shallots
• Chicken gizzard, minced
• Chicken liver, chopped
• ¼ cup Madeira
• ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
• 3 Tb cream cheese
• ½ tsp tarragon
• Salt and pepper

Method: Sauté mushrooms until dry. Cook gizzard and liver. Deglaze with Madeira. Combine all ingredients. Stuff loosely into chicken before roasting.

What To Serve With Julia Child Tarragon Chicken

Julia’s suggestions:

• Sautéed potatoes
• Broiled tomatoes
• Buttered green beans or peas
• Fresh parsley sprigs

Make-Ahead Tips

Up to 30 Minutes Ahead:

• Make sauce except for butter enrichment
• Strain into saucepan
• Return chicken to casserole
• Cover with foil, lid askew
• Keep warm over simmering water or in turned-off oven, door ajar
• Reheat and butter sauce just before serving

Note: This dish is best served immediately for the crispiest skin.

How To Store

Refrigerator: Carved chicken and sauce in separate containers for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Up to 2 months. Store chicken and sauce separately. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Reheat: Gently in covered pan with sauce. The skin won’t be crisp after reheating, but the flavor remains excellent.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (¼ chicken with sauce):

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Protein: 38g
• Total Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 6g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 580mg
• Cholesterol: 165mg

FAQs

Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child, Pages 249-251

– Claire