Full question
I want to double the quantities of the Tarragon Chicken (I'm cooking for 4) - will the cooking times indicated in the recipe remain the same? Also, could you please suggest a non-alcoholic alternative to white wine? I read a previous answer to a question asking what liquid can be substitued for alcohol but as this tarragon chicken calls for quite a lot of white wine (80ml for two people), I wanted to be sure. I have used white grape and pear juice as a replacement for vermouth in the chicken with tomatoes and peppers from Nigellissima but only a little was required - this recipe requires much more. Thank you.
Our answer
Nigella's Tarragon Chicken (from KITCHEN) is cooked in a large frying pan on top of the stove. This means that the cooking time should be pretty much the same for 4 chicken breasts, though you may need a couple of minutes extra to allow for the larger number of chicken breasts in the pan. Check that the chicken is cooked through before removing it from the pan and if the pan is starting to dry out before the chicken is cooked, add a splash of water.
However we would mention that in the inital stage of browning the chicken it can be difficult to get a good colour on the chicken if the pan is too crowded. We would suggest browning two of the chicken breasts first then removing them, adding a splash of extra oil, the spring onions (scallions) and the second pair of chicken breasts. Once these have browned, turn them over, add the first two breasts, browned side up, and continue with the recipe. We would suggest using chicken or vegetable stock for this recipe as grape or pear juice could end up being too sweet. Once you have added the tarragon to the sauce, taste it and add a squeeze or two of lemon juice if the sauce needs brightening up.
Tell us what you think
Thank you {% member.data['first-name'] %}.
Explore more questionsYour comment has been submitted.