The garniture chasseur (‘hunter’s garnish’) evokes the culinary traditions of la chasse — the hunt — combining sliced mushrooms, shallots, white wine, tomatoes, and tarragon in a preparation that functions simultaneously as garnish and sauce. Unlike purely assembled garnishes, the chasseur is a cooked composition: shallots sweated in butter until translucent, sliced mushrooms (champignons de Paris, though cèpes or chanterelles elevate the dish magnificently) sautéed until golden, deglazed with white wine, reduced by half, then finished with tomato concassé, demi-glace, and a chiffonade of fresh tarragon and chervil. The sauce should be neither too thick nor too thin — it should coat the back of a spoon but flow freely when ladled. In Poulet Sauté Chasseur, the chicken is first sautéed to golden, removed, and the chasseur built in the same pan using the fond (browned residue) as the flavour foundation. The tarragon is essential and non-negotiable: its anise-like perfume is the defining aromatic of the chasseur, distinguishing it from other mushroom-based preparations. Half the tarragon goes into the sauce during cooking, the other half is added raw at the moment of service for freshness. Chervil, with its more delicate flavour, is always added at the last moment. White wine should be dry and crisp — a Muscadet or Chablis works well. The tomato element should be restrained: enough to add colour and acidity, not so much that it becomes a tomato sauce. This garnish pairs with chicken, veal, rabbit, and eggs, always suggesting a meal assembled from what a hunter might find in the French countryside.
Shallots sweated, mushrooms sautéed, deglazed with white wine. Tarragon is the defining herb — half cooked in, half added raw at service. Tomato is a supporting element, not dominant. Sauce built on the fond of the sautéed protein. Chervil always added at the very last moment.
Use a combination of cultivated and wild mushrooms for depth. Reduce the white wine fully before adding demi-glace to avoid a raw wine taste. If fresh tarragon is unavailable, a tiny amount of tarragon vinegar at the end is preferable to dried tarragon, which has an entirely different character.
Omitting tarragon or substituting another herb. Adding too much tomato, overwhelming the mushroom and wine flavours. Using red wine instead of white. Adding herbs too early so they lose their freshness. Slicing mushrooms too thin so they disappear into the sauce.
Le Guide Culinaire (Escoffier)