Tarragon chicken breast with green asparagus

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 chicken breasts, each approx. 200 g
• ½ liter chicken broth, ready-made or instant powder
• 600 g asparagus, green
• 100 g Parmesan, grated
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• 1 tsp, heaped tarragon, dried
• 2 tbsp white seasoning
• 200 ml whipped cream
• 100 ml crème fraîche
• 50 g butter
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp, heaped sugar
• Basil for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

For the chicken broth, mix the appropriate amount of instant powder with 500 ml of water and a teaspoon of salt, or use ready-made broth. Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan. Skin the chicken breasts, season with salt, and add them to the cold broth. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 30 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, cut into one of the breasts and check if it’s cooked through. If not, cook thoroughly (at a slightly higher temperature if necessary). They should still be juicy, though! Wash and dry the asparagus. Peel the bottom third and trim off the woody ends. If the knife goes through the asparagus with almost no pressure, you’ve cut enough. Heat 1 cup of water and the butter in a wide pan. The pan should be large enough to hold all the asparagus lying side by side. Once the butter has melted, spread the asparagus evenly in the pan. Cook the asparagus over low heat, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the asparagus is lightly browned in the remaining butter. If the asparagus is still too hard, add water a tablespoon at a time and cook until “al dente.” Cover the pan and set aside until ready to serve. For the tarragon sauce, beat the heavy cream, crème fraîche, contimento bianco, and tarragon in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Season with salt and pepper. In a small saucepan, boil 1 teaspoon of sugar with 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar is lightly caramelized. Stir in the tarragon sauce and heat gently, but do not boil! When it is hot enough, froth it with a hand blender and fold in the chopped parsley (amount to taste). To serve, add some of the meat and asparagus to each plate. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, pour the sauce over the top, grind fresh pepper, and garnish with basil.