Tarragon is one of those herbs that we hardly ever think of using until we come across a recipe that specifically calls for it. We've even grown tarragon in our herb garden, only to reach the end of the summer without hardly touching it! Its licorice-like flavor can definitely make using tarragon a little tricky. How do you use tarragon in your cooking?
Tarragon is a low shrub native to Asia with flat, narrow, glossy-green leaves. It's actually a member of the lettuce family, and its tender leaves are quite tasty when raw! You can also find it as a dry spice, though the flavor is much diminished.
There are two main types of tarragon: French and Russian. We generally prefer to use French tarragon for its delicate, balanced flavor. Russian tarragon can be harsh-tasting and is significantly less aromatic.
The two most common uses for tarragon are in the French "fine herbes" blend and as part of a bearnaise sauce (hollandaise sauce with tarragon and shallots added). Tarragon is also often used as a flavoring for pickled vegetables.
Beyond that, we need to get a little creative! Since the leaves are so tender, they can be mixed in with other greens for salads or sprinkled over a finished dish much like parsley. The anise flavor goes well in tomato dishes, so we can see using it in panzanella and caprese salads, in tomato-based soups, or in tomato sauces for pasta. Used sparingly, tarragon makes a nice seasoning for fish and seafood dishes, or with eggs. Tarragon can also be muddled or infused into simple syrup for to use in cocktails and summer coolers!
We'd really love to start using more tarragon in our cooking. Please share your suggestions for using it!
Related: Tell Us: Is There An Herb You Can't Stand?
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There used to be a sauce on the market--Escoffier Sauce Diable--and the best chicken dish I ever had was very simple: you brushed chicken pieces with butter, sprinkled with chopped fresh tarragon, the glazed with the diable sauce and grilled under the broiler. Mmmmmm! Sometimes I do the same thing minus the diable, and it's also delicious. (A person can also make their own diable sauce and use it for this, among other dishes. . . .
PS
Fresh tarragon's also made by God for fish dishes, you know---
In a cream sauce for a sautéed white meat, such as chicken or a veal cutlet: deglaze the pan with a sip of vermouth, add cream, simmer, add chopped tarragon.
I also use it for herbed butter. Blend tarragon and butter, roll into a log, slice, freeze in an airtight container. You can then use the rounds on a grilled steak, a steamed fish, in pasta and sauces as the fancy strikes.
I have a tarragon-infused vinegar that I bought somewhere, not sure where though.
The above mentioned tarragon butter on steak is my absolute favorite.
I also make a basil/tarragon pesto that makes me never want plain basil pesto again.
Oh...and the tarragon butter is divine with radish slices.
Its the secret ingredient in my Turkey Meatloaf.
I think tarragon compliments potatoes perfectly.
My husband puts it on grilled or broiled peaches and plums with a drizzle of vanilla infused olive oil.
A little tarragon in chicken salad brightens it up. I also use it with mustard when I roast chicken.
chopped in scrambled eggs with a dollop of cream cheese, roast chicken (as mentioned above), or in provencal type veggie dishes such as ratatouille (sp?).
At a cafe I worked at we made a lemon-tarragon dressing (sour cream, mayo) for chicken sandwiches that is amazing. We used dried tarragon, but fresh would work well too.
This has always been one of my favorite herbs.
Sauteed mushrooms finished with lemon and tarragon, tossed with pasta, is really delicious.
Tarragon goes well with beets, too. Cube cooked beets (or pickled beets), thinly slice some fennel, and toss with chopped tarragon and some goat cheese--yum.
Tarragon vinegar is easy to make and is a nice homemade gift.
Chop some tarragon and throw into an egg salad that has cornichons, thinly sliced fennel, dijon mustard, and just a spoonful of mayonnaise.
Oh man, I planyed a wee little plant a couple of months ago (I got it from the farmers market) and it has TAKEN OFF! There is so much tarragon, I have probaby used it in everything. I treat it like basil... best when freshest! I add it at the end of every dish, so it just gently heats. I love it. This is the first summer Ive really used it.
I really like it tossed on a bunch of asparagus and a quick red wine vinaigrette. It's also super yummy in a nicoise-ish style salad.
I wanted to plant tarragon in my garden this year but haven't been able to find it!
A woman I work with introduced me to eating fresh tarragon with small slices of fresh feta and lavash flat bread. This along with slices of cucumber and tomato has become our office afternoon snack.
I hate licorice and I don't think tarragon tastes like licorice at all.
We use tarragon for fish, chicken and egg dishes. It's slightly sweet and smells divine.
Let me see. My tarragon is growing like gangbusters this summer.
Use when we milk poach halibut, stuffed in fish on the bbq, and just this evening mixed it with variegated thyme to make a herb butter for bbq'ed corn on the cob.
But the absolutely favourite spot for tarragon in this house is in herbed hamburgers.
Oh wait and then there was last night when we stabbed holes into a pork chop (boneless) and stuffed the holes with tarragon leaves.
Poach a chicken, serve it with a sauce made by heating cream with a stem of tarragon in it. Something similar to this in one of the Elizabeth David cookbooks which is where I learned to do it.
Lemon Chicken requires a healthy amount of tarragon
I agree with NYKate--tarragon is a must for chicken salad with lots of dijon.
But also, tarragon is nice in a mojito, in a simple dark rum and tonic, or a lot of other alcoholic drinks.
It's also in Iranian cucumber salad maast o khiar: yogurt, cucumber, golden raisins, tarragon, mint, and dill (you can also use other herbs, but that's my fav combo).