Channel a French bistro with creamy tarragon chicken

The King of Herbs’ subtle sweetness makes this dish fit for royalty

Let me tell you a charming tale about tarragon: Once upon a time, there was a French king named Louis who loved tarragon so much that he named it the King of Herbs. He would sprinkle it on everything from eggs to chicken to fish to even ice cream. I’m not sure how factual this obscure legend is — especially the ice cream part. But, who could blame him if he did?

Tarragon has this unique allure, a combination of licorice, mint, vanilla, pepper and eucalyptus that goes especially well with rich, creamy foods. No matter how you describe the herb, I’m a firm fan. It adds a subtle, magical sweetness to food that’s worthy of its own culinary fairytale.

Technically, there are several types of tarragon. Mexican tarragon, for example, is a bit more pungent while the Russian type is a bit more mild. While there’s certainly a time and a place for those varieties, this week’s recipe calls for French tarragon, the most common one you’ll find at markets here. Its season in California starts right about now and goes through early fall.

I start out by braising chicken legs in broth with whole tarragon stems with their leaves attached, infusing the broth and chicken. After the chicken is tender, I stir in more chopped tarragon so every bite has a fresh burst of the herb, making this braise almost refreshing. I take the skin off the chicken, too, which makes this feel lighter.

For that creamy element, I’m partial to creme fraiche here. Just a little bit really rounds out the flavors. Typically for a braise like this, I’d say you can skip a smallquantity ingredient. But, here I will not. The flavor affinity of cream and tarragon (and chicken, too) is too strong to be lax about them. I will say, though, that you can substitute heavy cream or even sour cream if you want.

Small vegetables are really pleasant here. Little potatoes and peppery pink radishes with their greens still attached make this feel very French bistro. I don’t call for them, but snap peas would be great, too. Just make sure that if you’re adding other tender vegetables, you do it toward the end of the cooking — or even just throw them in right after you finish adding the mustard and creme fraiche so they stay crisp.

The tarragon in this dish is the main character, though. You might fall in love with this herb like a king supposedly did all those years ago. After all, who wouldn’t want the King of Herbs in their kitchen?

Christian Reynoso/Special to The Chronicle Tarragon Chicken With Radishes and Little Potatoes brings a French vibe.