Mustard Tarragon Chicken

I was checking my garden about a week ago, when I noticed that my french tarragon was huge and was blocking all the sun from my tiny little rosemary plant.  So, I cut it back and then had a huge pile of fresh tarragon to use up.  I bagged up little bunches of tarragon for my friends and they inevitably asked me what they should use it for.  This is my favorite recipe using fresh tarragon, and it's also a quick dish to prepare, yet seems a little fancy.

Mustard Tarragon Chicken

8 chicken breast tenders (or 4 breasts, butterflied)

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place an oven safe plate on the center rack to keep chicken warm while you make the sauce.  Place chicken between layers of plastic wrap and flatten slightly with a mallet.  Salt and pepper chicken.  In a large frying pan (not non-stick) over medium heat melt butter with olive oil until it begins to bubble.  Make sure the pan is nice and hot, then add chicken to pan in batches.  Be careful to not crowd the pan or the chicken will not brown.  Once browned on one side (2-3 minutes), turn and brown the other side (2 minutes).  Place cooked chicken in the oven while you finish the rest.  Once the chicken is done, keep the pan on the heat and add the minced shallot.  When the shallot is golden, add vinegar and tarragon.  Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan and reduce the vinegar to about 2 Tbsp.  Add Dijon and heavy cream.  Boil gently until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove plate from oven and add any juices from the plate to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Pour sauce over chicken and top with more fresh tarragon to serve.