In balsamic chicken dish, tarragon is key component

We eat a lot of stewy, soupy things around here, and like them a lot, but every once in a while I get a hankering for chicken. Back in the fall I spent an evening with friends who made arroz con pollo, which means “rice with chicken” in Spanish. It was so delicious. I tried to replicate it without formal instructions and came up with a pretty indifferent dish. I should have asked you (and I will).

What I ought to have made instead is this lovely chicken dish from my friend Gail O’Donnell who is a food stylist living in Belfast. She has a ton and a half of chicken recipes and shared this one. It is quick, and if you serve it with a nice green vegetable such as broccoli or some green beans and rice to soak up all the sauce, you could have supper pretty quickly.

The tarragon is a key ingredient even though balsamic vinegar is in the title. I never used to like tarragon, but it has really grown on me, and I use it in many more recipes now than I ever used to. Many grocery stores have fresh herbs in the produce section. It might be a bit much to hope they will have tarragon, but it is worth looking or asking for. Otherwise, plan to use 1 teaspoon of dried crumbled tarragon for the 1 tablespoon of the fresh. Also, add the dried tarragon early along with the other ingredients so it has time to rehydrate and develop flavor.

Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Sauce

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 medium tomatoes, diced

one large onion, diced

one clove garlic, diced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon of chopped tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken, tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, salt and pepper in roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep it warm. Add chopped fresh tarragon to juices in the pan and bring them to a boil on a surface burner. Remove from heat. To serve, put the chicken on platter and spoon the sauce over chicken.

Looking for …

All right, I give up. Does anyone have a recipe for arroz con pollo that they think is really good?

Send queries or answers to Sandy Oliver, 1061 Main Road, Islesboro 04848. E-mail: tastebuds@prexar.com. For recipes, tell us where they came from. List ingredients, specify number of servings and do not abbreviate measurements. Include name, address and daytime phone number.