Chicken Veronique sounds fancy but it’s truly one of the easiest weeknight meals I prepare.
Typically, I make this dish in the summer with halibut, sole (which is traditional) or another seasonal white fish. However, this recipe works just as beautifully with chicken.
The traditional recipe calls for poaching the sole in white wine and then topping it with a white sauce and garnishing with fresh grapes. Although I do love a wine poached fish, I prefer to pan sear my fish and chicken for this recipe.
Because the chicken takes a bit longer to cook, I finish it in the oven. Once it’s done, I transfer the chicken to a platter and then make the sauce in the same pan. Using any juices that have collected in the pan makes for a deeper flavored sauce. 
Fresh tarragon makes this Chicken Veronique sing! I’ve used dried tarragon and it just doesn’t taste the same, although if you can’t find fresh, dried tarragon will do. I adore the combination of fresh grapes with fresh tarragon and they both pair well with white fish and chicken. I do typically use chicken breasts that I’ve butterflied and cut in half so they’re more of a “cutlet” size. This also makes them easier to cook stove top.
However, you can certainly use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if it strikes your fancy. 😉
A little prep, a bit of dancing about at the kitchen stove and in 25-30 minutes you’ll have a delightful one dish meal. Because the sauce is quite lush, I serve Chicken Veronique with herbed farro, quinoa, rice pilaf or cauliflower rice and a steamed or roasted, seasonal veggie.
Delicious Wishes and Loads of Love,
Karista
Chicken Veronique
Notes
This recipe serves 3-4 and can be doubled.
If you'd like a smooth sauce, strain the sauce prior to adding the fresh tarragon and grapes. Then add the sauce back to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper and then add the fresh tarragon and grapes.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, butterflied and then halved, making 4 "cutlets"
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (optional but it does give a nice bit of crisp to the chicken)
- 2-4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 medium to large shallot, diced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 cup halved seedless grapes (red or green)
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. In a large bowl, mix together the one tablespoon fresh tarragon and the all-purpose flour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
- In a large oven proof skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons ghee. While the ghee is heating, lightly dust the chicken with the tarragon and flour mixture.
- When the ghee is hot, add the four chicken cutlets to the ghee and brown, about 5 minutes. Then turn each chicken breast over and then place the skillet in the oven to finish cooking, about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. The chicken breast should reach at least 160F internal temperature.
- When the chicken is done, carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the chicken to a platter.
- Over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee to the same pan. When the ghee is melted, add the shallots to the pan and stir, pulling up those lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the shallots are wilted and translucent, stir in the wine and then the heavy cream.
- Let the liquid come to a boil and then simmer on low until it begins to reduce and thicken slightly. The sauce should coat the back of spoon.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and then stir in the tablespoon of fresh tarragon and the grapes. Let the grapes warm in the sauce for a few minutes.
- Place the chicken either back in the pan, nestled in the sauce or place the chicken on a platter and ladle with the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh chopped Italian parsley and serve.
I think I made this once in cooking school and promptly forgot about it- which how could I with such a lovely name. I do like protein and grapes and I’ll have to try this again. I also like chicken salad with grapes and pecans.
Cheers – w
That’s so funny, culinary school is where I first learned to make the dish as well. 🙂 I make it mostly with fish but I had chicken to use this week, so chicken veronique it was.