Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs with Tarragon-Cream Pan Sauce, Wild Rice Pilaf, and Lemon-Zested Haricots Verts

Begin by preparing your produce: Wash and trim the ends of 12 oz haricots verts. Mince 2 shallots and 2 garlic cloves. Thinly slice 3 green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Dice 2 roma tomatoes. Finely chop 3 tbsp curly parsley and 1 tbsp tarragon. Zest and juice 1 lemon.

In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat. Sauté the white parts of the 3 green onions and the 2 diced roma tomatoes for 3 minutes until softened. Add 1 cup raw wild rice blend and stir for 2 minutes to toast the grains.

Pour 2 cups chicken stock into the rice mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 45 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Keep covered off the heat once finished.

While the rice simmers, pat 4 chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side down in a large, cold stainless steel skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low.

Render the chicken fat for 15 minutes without moving the thighs. This slow start ensures the skin becomes exceptionally crisp. Once the skin is deep golden brown, increase heat to medium, flip the chicken, and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a plate to rest, leaving the rendered fat and browned bits (fond) in the pan.

While chicken is finishing, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch 12 oz haricots verts for 3 minutes, then drain and shock in ice water to stop cooking. In a clean skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat, sauté 2 minced garlic cloves for 1 minute, then toss in the blanched beans, the zest of 1 lemon, and 1 tsp of the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Prepare the pan sauce: Pour off all but 1 tbsp of fat from the chicken skillet. Over medium heat, sauté 2 minced shallots for 2 minutes. Pour in 0.5 cup dry white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the caramelized fond from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half.

Whisk in the remaining 0.5 cup chicken stock and 1 tsp dijon mustard. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in 0.25 cup heavy cream, 1 tbsp chopped tarragon, and 1 tbsp of the chopped curly parsley. Simmer for 2 more minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Fluff the wild rice with a fork and stir in the green parts of the 3 green onions and the remaining 2 tbsp of curly parsley.

To serve, plate a generous portion of wild rice pilaf, top with a chicken thigh, and ladle the tarragon-cream sauce over the meat. Serve the lemon-zested haricots verts on the side.