Chicken with Wine and Tarragon Recipe

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the wine and ½ teaspoon of dried tarragon.

Set aside.

Coat the chicken with olive oil and arrange the pieces, skin-side up, in a large roasting pan.

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the remaining 1 tablespoon of wine, and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper.

Top each piece of chicken with a piece of butter.

Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, and then sprinkle with the remaining 1½ teaspoons of tarragon.

Baste the chicken and cook for about 20 minutes longer until the breasts are just done.

Remove the breasts and cook the legs for about 5 minutes longer until done.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Return the breasts to the pan.

Heat the broiler.

Baste the chicken and then broil for about 2 minutes until the skin is golden brown.

Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan.

Set the pan over moderate heat, and add the reserved wine-and-tarragon mixture and the water.

Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits.

Boil for about 3 minutes until reduced to approximately 3 tablespoons.

Add any accumulated juices from the chicken and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken.