Cooking Sunday night dinners is one of my favourite things to do and I find my best recipes are found on these nights.  This specific meal is from the Lyon section of Daniel, and his narrative explaining the humble beginnings of his career being inspired from this dish and his descriptive intro to the flavours gave me no choice but to make it right then and there. And so there we have it,  a great dish for a relaxing Sunday night.

Poulet à l’estragon served with Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

From the Daniel: My French Cuisine, Adapted for 2.

Poulet à l’estragon

9 golf ball-size tomatoes

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 pieces of chicken, bone in and skin on (mix of breast, thigh)

freshly ground white pepper

2 large shallots, sliced

5 ounces pearl onions

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup tarragon vinegar (I didn’t have tarragon vinegar so I let 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon in with 1/4 cup champagne vinegar and let sit for 2 hours)

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 bunch tarragon

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water on the side. Score an X on the bottoms of the tomatoes and pearl onions. Boil them separately for a few seconds or until the skins loosed on the bottoms. Strain and peel under cold running water; set aside.

In a braising pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil.Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken to the pan skin side down and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes in total. Transfer the chicken to platter, set aside and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots and onions to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft. Add the tomato paste and flour and cook, stirring for another minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, then stir in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan with the tarragon. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Rice Pilaf

3/4 cup basmati rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 shallot minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf, 1 spring thyme and 1 spring tarragon

Rinse the rice with cold water until it runs clear. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the butter, stock, salt, bay leaf, thyme and tarragon and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook undisturbed over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.

Bean Fricassée

Salt

1/2 pound green or yellow wax beans, trimmed

1/2 tablespoon butter

freshly ground white pepper

1/4 bunch tarragon, leaves chopped

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and boil for 4 minutes, or until tender. Strain, return the beans to the pan over medium-low heat and toss with butter. Season with salt and pepper and toss in tarragon leaves just before serving.