Herbs For Chicken Take The Herb Path Less Travelled

Is there any culinary herb that doesn’t go well with chicken? Some of the all-time favourites are rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, oregano and garlic. But why not try something different?

- Alice Spenser-Higgs

If French cuisine is your thing, anise-flavoured tarragon would be on the list, but it is still one of those lesser-known gourmet herbs. It is as good a companion as rosemary for chicken.

The mushroom herb is a new kid on the block. It has a strong mushroom flavour, and as most chefs know, chicken and mushrooms are another classic combination. For people who find that mushrooms disagree with them, this is the flavourful and safe alternative. Using mushroom herb also helps a few mushrooms go a long way.

Rocket is a salad herb and its peppery leaves are a delicious complement to the softer flavour of chicken. Don’t just think salad: there is rocket pesto, stuffing, wraps and more to turn a chicken dish into something memorable.

CHICKEN WAYS WITH FRENCH TARRAGON3

Tarragon cream sauce is so simple, with luxurious results. Cook seasoned chicken breasts in butter in a pan until done. Using the juices remaining in the pan, slowly cook 2 tablespoons of chopped onion until soft. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of flour and stir. Slightly increase the heat and stir in 1 cup of dry white wine and 1½ teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon. Stir until the sauce starts to thicken then add ½ cup of heavy cream, taste, and season with salt and black pepper. If any juice has accumulated from the set-aside chicken, add that to the sauce. Serve the sauce over the chicken.

Try this: Add garlic to the onions, and chopped fresh mushroom herb or mushrooms when adding the tarragon.