Chicken Breasts with Garlic Tarragon Sauce

Chicken Breasts with Garlic Tarragon Sauce

2 bone-in chicken breasts, skinned

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 ½ cups dry white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Salt

Pepper

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breast. When oil is hot, sear chicken for about 5 minutes a side. Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Add garlic and tarragon. Reduce heat to medium. Let chicken simmer in wine until wine has reduced to about ½ cup, turning chicken over occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to low. Add butter to wine and herb mixture and stir to incorporate. Ladle sauce over chicken breasts and serve.

For the wine I used a 2006 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand. This turned out to be a pivotal choice. The wine itself had a slight grapefruit taste with some pineapple/tropical undertones. When used with this dish as an ingredient, it imparted a lemony/citrus component. My husband swore that I had used lemon juice as an ingredient. When drinking the wine with the dish (which was a fantastic pairing, by the way), the grapefruit/citrus aspects of the wine dominated. I do enjoy a wine with hidden talents. And The Fresh Market carries it for $9.99.