On Saturday I had the chance to make Florence’s Tarragon Chicken; a recipe from Jennifer Schell’s The BC Wine Lover’s Cookbook. This recipe comes from Phil McGahan, the winemaker at CheckMate Artisanal Winery.
“Phil McGahan grew up in Western Queensland, Australia, as the youngest of 10 children. His parents, Jack and Florence, supported their large brood by raising their own chickens and keeping a quarter-acre vegetable garden. “Most Saturday mornings, my dad and I would kill and dress two chickens for our family’s dinner. One of my mom’s specialties was this tarragon chicken recipe, made with fresh tarragon picked from my dad’s vegetable garden.”[1]
This recipe is relatively easy to follow and to make. The tarragon cream sauce is exceptional, offering you a great return on your efforts.
The recipe for Florence’s Tarragon Chicken can be found on CheckMate’s website here, and it pairs beautifully with their 2015 Little Pawn Chardonnay.
2015 CheckMate Little Pawn Chardonnay
The 2015 Little Pawn is made from Chardonnay clones Dijon 76 and Dekleva, which were grown in the Jagged Rock Vineyard on the Black Sage Bench. The grapes were harvested at night and fermented using 53% wild fermentation. The wine was aged for 16 months in French Oak (47% new).
After five hours in the decanter the 2015 Little Pawn Chardonnay has a fairly pronounced nose of blossom, apple, lemon, apricot danish, pineapple, papaya and buttered biscuits. This is a full bodied Chardonnay with high acidity. The palate offers pineapple, lemon rind, rose, apricots and minerality with apple and soft baking spices on the lingering finish.
CheckMate Artisanal Winery is open daily for tastings with a reservation. They are also offering complimentary shipping on all orders.
Footnotes
[1] Jennifer Schell, The BC Wine Lover’s Cookbook (Vancouver: Appetite by Random House, 2020).
I love that wine and the recipe sounds fantastic! Great pairing and photography!
Thank you Tania – it made for a great evening of wine and food! 🥂