Chicken Breasts and Tarragon En Papillote (France)

Submitted by Sydney Mike

"This recipes comes from the 2005 cookbook, The French Diet."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 tomatoes, medium-size
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1⁄4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• 1 dash cayenne, to taste
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or whole-grain mustard)

directions

1. Cut each tomato into 4 thick slices, then salt both sices & lay them out in a single layer to drain on paper towels.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Cut one of the chicken breasts into 6 pieces & lay them in the center of a 12-inch square of heavy aluminum foil.
4. Season the chicken with salt, pepper & cayenne, to taste, then top the chicken with 2 slices of tomato & 1/4 of the tarragon leaves.
5. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the tomatoes as well as a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
6. Season the tomatoes with additional salt & pepper, to taste.
7. Bring 2 opposite edges of the foil together over the top & fold them down over the chicken, then fold the sides up & over the chicken to create a packet.
8. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts, then put the 4 packets on a baking sheet & bake for 15 minutes.
9. When chicken is done, open the packets & drain the liquid into a small bowl.
10. Add the mustard to the liquid, mixing well.
11. Serve the chicken in the packet on a plate, & drizzle the sauce over the top.

Reviews

[IngridH]

I really enjoyed this. The chicken was very tender and juicy, but the star of the show was the sauce. I loved the tang of the mustard mixed with the cooking juices! Very easy, and pretty, too. I used a whole bone in breast (personal preference) so my chicken took a bit longer to cook, but that wasn't a problem as I expected it to take a bit longer. Next time I might add a few slivers of sun dried tomato for a bit of sweetness. Thanks for posting!

 

[loof751]

We loved this quick and easy chicken dish! I had to use dried tarragon, otherwise made as directed. The sauce with the dijon mustard was just terrific - for me it made the dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

 

[Jubes]

*Reviewed during ZWT5 Family Picks for Chow Hounds Team* The chicken was beautiful and tender, taking around 20-25 minutes to cook through. I think cooking time may vary based on the size of the chicken breast fillets being used. I wasn't keen on the whol tarragon leaves as they are quite strong....but having said that, they did leave a lovely flavour through the entire packet. So we just left them on the sides of our plates. Served with recipe#250611 for a complete meal . Photo also to be posted

 

[susie cooks]

5 stars because my husband and I enjoyed it. The kids liked it but not as much as us. The tarragon is a wonderful addition! The chicken actually took about 25 minutes to cook. I served this with recipe #348456. Great dinner! Made for ZWT 5.