Tarragon Chicken with Shallots

This recipe is from Risha Zimmern, Andrew Zimmern’s wife. Andrew is the host of the Travel Channel’s “Bizarre Foods.”

I didn’t have fresh tarragon, so I used dried. It’s not the same. And in retrospect, I’d lose the tomatoes and use mushrooms instead, adding them in at Step 7. Still, it was tasty.

Ingredients 

• CHICKEN THIGHS, 8, bone-in
• FLOUR, 2 tablespoons
• KOSHER SALT, 1 tablespoon
• BLACK PEPPER, 1 TABLESPOON FRESHLY GROUND
• BUTTER, unsalted, 2 tablespoons
• SHALLOTS, 12-18 whole medium, peeled
• WHITE WINE, 2 cups
• DIJON MUSTARD, 2 tablespoons
• TARRAGON, 2 sprigs
• CHERRY TOMATOES, cut in half, 2 cups

Directions 

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with flower, salt and pepper.
2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or skillet.
3. Cook the chicken until well-browned and crisp on all sides. Set aside.
4. Add the shallots to the pot, saute in the butter and chicken fat for 10-12 minutes until they begin to caramelize.
5. Deglaze the pot with wine, then add the mustard and tarragon.
6. Add the chicken thighs, cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Remove the lid and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens.
8. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pot, stir and serve immediately.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Pork chops cooked in a slow cooker are so "fall off the bone" tender and tasty. But they can turn out a little dry, so make sure you have plenty of gravy, extending what's in the pot with a little more water and/or chicken/beef stock.

I cut up some carrots and add them in about half-way through the cooking cycle. They pick up the gravy flavor and are delicious!

We had ours with corn nibblets and steamed rice.

Ingredients 

• PORK CHOPS, 4 bone-in (¾11-inch thick)
• KOSHER SALT, to taste
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, to taste
• BROWN SUGAR (Optional), to taste
• BUTTER, 2 tablespoons, divided (1½ and ½)
• ONION, 1 large, sliced (about 2½-3 cups)
• DRIED THYME or ROSEMARY, 1 teaspoon (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh)
• CHICKEN BROTH, 1 cup
• APPLE CIDER, ¼ cup apple cider
• SOY SAUCE, 3 tablespoons
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1 tablespoon
• CORNSTARCH SLURRY (2-3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

Directions 

1. Season the pork chops with salt, black pepper, and optional brown sugar (if using) to taste.
2. Heat 1½ tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
3. Sear the chops on both sides until they’re golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side.)
4. Add the seared chops to the slow cooker. (Overlap, but don’t stack.)
5. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter to the sauté pan, followed by the sliced onions. Cook the onions until they begin to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add the herbs and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.
7. Add the chicken broth, apple cider, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to deglaze the pan.
8. Stir everything to combine, and scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pan.
9. Pour the cooking liquid and onions over the pork chops.
10. Cook for 4 – 5 hours on low or for 2 – 3 hours on high.
11. Remove the cooked pork chops from the slow cooker and set them aside on a plate.
12. Whisk the slurry into the cooking liquid.
13. Return the pork chops to the slow cooker and cook on high about 30-60 minutes until the sauce is thickened.