Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Tarragon-Mustard Pan Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt and pepper, plus other seasonings of your choice to season chicken
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 2-3 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon, preferably French tarragon

Directions

1. Cut away any visible fat and tendons from the chicken breasts. If the pieces are especially thick, use a meat mallet or another heavy tool to flatten them to about 3/4 inch thick.
2. Rinse the tarragon leaves, then mince them finely with a chef’s knife.
3. Warm the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, using a pan that fits the chicken in a single layer without packing it in too tightly.
4. As the oil heats, season the chicken with the seasonings you like.
5. Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook until it is nicely browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. The exact timing will vary with your skillet and the strength of the heat.
6. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it loosely with foil so it stays warm.
7. Pour the chicken stock into the pan, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
8. Whisk in the mustard, tarragon, half and half, and any juices that have collected on the plate with the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes more.
9. Serve right away, spooning some of the sauce over each chicken breast.