[french fries]

Tonight I want to fry chicken in a pan, and later deglaze it to make a sauce. I've done that for steaks, but never for chicken.

I was thinking: deglaze with a little cognac, add a few shallots, maybe some tarragon, then homemade chicken stock (I've got a fresh new batch), cream and dijon mustard, season, reduce, serve with fettuccine pasta and sauteed mushrooms.

But I just heard of something called "Dijon Chicken", and I see some recipes using flour to thicken the sauce. I also keep reading of all those complex sauces (i.e. "chasseur") using roux, demi-glace etc...). Making a roux is not a problem, making a demi-glace is... well maybe next time I have a 3 day vacation). I don't want to buy anything pre-made either.

Also some recipe suggest coating the chicken in flour... what is that about? I do that with fish, never with chicken. What difference will that make?

So what do you think? Any suggestions, or experiences to share?

 

[blueicus]

Your sauce idea sounds fine.

If you're using cream in your reduction, you most certainly don't need to use a thickening agent, if you're simply using stock that's a slightly different matter altogether unless you have some bones on hand and are prepared to reduce the **** out of it.

The flour coating gives an extra crispness to the chicken's exterior and helps add a little bulk to the sauce if you're doing a jus lie. Personally I prefer the chicken without flour.

A pan sauce I used to make at another place I worked involved sweating shallots, sliced portabello, flambe a shot of amaretto, stock, cream, seasoning and reduce.

 

[bluedogz]

Ooh... mmmmmmmmm.

 

[french fries]

mmmmmm... exactly what I was thinking that sounds very nice, might try that next time!

 

[indianwells]

In both sauce recipes mentioned so far it reads "season, reduce". Surely seasoning is done after reduction? I was always under the impression you could intensify the salt flavour if you seasoned first. Correct me if i'm wrong, I often am!:blush:

 

[chrislehrer]

I wouldn't serve your cream-reduction sauce over pasta: I'd be afraid that it would just disappear, unless you make buckets of it. In many respects what you're describing is poulet a la estragon, so you might look for recipes on that one. If you're willing to go whole hog, and the chicken you are using is really excellent, I'd say skip the stock and replace entirely with proper heavy cream. It'll reduce thicker and fuller-flavored (and worse for you, but what the hey).