French night was a success. The chicken was extremely juicy and the asparagus and cream sauce was perfect. I messed up the sauce that goes with the chicken, but the chicken didn’t need the sauce anyways. Lucy did not eat the asparagus, no surprise there, but all the other girls ate more than one piece.

I personally am enjoying doing the different themes of food from around the world. We talk about where the country is that the meals are originally from. Fortunately because of the Wonder Pets, Dora, Diego, and other shows they are kind of aware of the countries. For this dinner we told the girls how to say hello, goodbye, and beached whale in French.

Grade: A-

French Chicken Breast with Orange Tarragon Sauce

Ingredients

· 8 chicken breasts, skin on and wing bone attached

· 4 tablespoons butter

· 4 tablespoons olive oil

· Salt and pepper

· 1/2 cup orange juice

· 2 cups chicken broth

· 2 sprigs tarragon

· 4 TBS unsalted butter, cut into bits

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet and place it over high heat for 2 minutes. Season the chicken breasts with a sprinkling of salt and pepper and place 4 of the breasts in the pan skin side down. Sear for 1 minute or until the skin is crispy and a golden brown. Turn the breasts and sear 1 more minute. Remove to a baking dish and repeat the process with the rest of the butter, oil and breasts. Place the baking dish into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add orange juice, chicken broth, and tarragon to the hot skillet. Cook until reduced by about 3/4 (sauce should coat the back of a spoon). Right before serving, whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned over the top.

Asparagus in Tarragon Cream Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 3 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

· 1 shallot, finely chopped

· 1 teaspoon lemon juice

· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· 2/3 cup vegetable stock

· 1/3 cup heavy cream

· 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh tarragon (1 teaspoon dried tarragon)

· 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1 1/2 pounds green asparagus, trimmed

Preparation:

In a medium size saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add the shallot and lemon juice to the pan and cook the mixture for an additional 3 minutes.

Stir the flour into the mushrooms until completely incorporated, and then add the vegetable stock, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and thicken slightly. Stir in the heavy cream, tarragon, and nutmeg, and then heat through. (Do not allow the sauce to simmer) Once the sauce is heated, remove it from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.

Bring a large shallow pan of water to a boil and salt it. Gently place the asparagus into the water, reduce heat, and cover with a lid. Cook the asparagus for 5-7 minutes, until it’s tender. Drain and serve immediately with the hot tarragon cream sauce.