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Now it could be said I am playing favorites, writing about French tarragon, since I am a native of France, but it really isn't so.
It is such a delightful herb, that if you get acquainted with it, you can't help but love its wonderful fragrance and affinity to chicken and all things aquatic (well, almost.... I wouldn't pair it with sea cucumber, but then again, there aren't too many things that pair well with that strange Asian delicacy.)
French tarragon has a subtle, warm, anise taste, much more flavorful than its Russian counterpart, which is why we make the distinction. The plant is propagated by cuttings or root ball division only, not by seed, which is one of the ways you can discern it from Russian tarragon. It is a perennial plant and will grow to about 3 feet tall, and get very bushy. It loves a sunny location, good drainage, and will even thrive in a pot. Make sure that if you grow this herb in a pot, you bring it in close to your house for the winter months, and cover it well with mulch, or the roots will get too cold and die. This regretfully happened to my plant last year, and I am in need of a replacement this spring, as it is hard for me to do without.
Historically, French tarragon was used for toothaches, and the Romans used it to treat snakebites. I have absolutely no idea if this actually works, so please don't take my word for it.
One of the most popular uses for tarragon is to make infused vinegar. This allows you to enjoy the taste of fresh picked tarragon all year long. It is actually quite easy to make. All you need is a clean, sterilized bottle of your choice, three to four long sprigs of tarragon, washed and dried, white wine or champagne vinegar, and about a couple dozen whole black peppercorns.
To make the infused vinegar, place the sprigs of tarragon in your bottle of choice, as well as the peppercorns. Pour the vinegar in the bottle to reach the top. Add a cork, or stopper and “voila.” Let steep for a couple of weeks in a dark cool place and you are ready to enjoy your tarragon vinegar in sauces, dressings, marinades and soups, or wherever you need a little boost of acid to complement and heighten flavors. Now, there is a shortcut you can take, which is to warm up the vinegar before you add it to the bottle. This will speed up the process, but wilt your tarragon quickly. What I like to do in that case is to let the tarragon steep in the vinegar for a week or so, and then remove those sprigs and replace them with fresh ones.
One of the most popular uses of tarragon is in the classical French “sauce Bearnaise,” a wonderful tasty, high calorie delight involving lots of butter, egg yolks and tarragon and a little tricky sauce-making. However, if you are not prone to spend a half day's worth of calories on one dish, there are many other delightful uses for tarragon, such as a wonderful butter to be used with grilled chicken, fish or shellfish, or one of my favorites: sauce Tartare.
Now, as Eugene Walter mentions in his book, “Hints & Pinches,” “the ghastly mess passed off in restaurants as tartar sauce bears absolutely no resemblance to the exquisite French ‘sauce Tartare,' flavored with tarragon and capers, and so delicious with any fish or crustaceans.”
Therefore, here is a “sauce Tartare” recipe, adapted from Eugene Walter's original, calling for you to make a homemade mayonnaise. Now, that's not too hard to do, however, I will save that recipe for another column. The following is my adaptation of his recipe.
Enjoy, and please don't forget to e-mail me if there is a specific herb you want me to talk about. Also e-mail me for my complete Cooking Class schedule. The next classes coming up are Chinese dim sum (April 27), Preparing for the Grill (April 29), and many more. Contact me at worldtable@gmail.com.
Sauce Tartare
1/2 cup of Best Foods mayonnaise (or if you are ambitious before dinner, by all means make your own mayonnaise)
1/4 cup sour cream (can be low cal, but NOT fat-free)
2 tsp. finely chopped green olives
2 tsp. finely chopped tarragon
1 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1/2 tsp. finely chopped capers (rinsed from their brine)
Mix all in a bowl and enjoy. I also like to add a few drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Thai Sri Racha sauce (available at Safeway or Carol's Oriental). Just add to your tastebud's tolerances.
Tarragon butter for chicken or seafood
Fabulous on top of broiled, pan-fried or grilled chicken, shellfish or fish. It's also great to put under the skin of a whole chicken, if you are oven-roasting it.
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp chopped French tarragon leaves (no stems)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Butter can be frozen, or used within a couple of days.
To use on broiled, etc... foods, just bring to room temperature before cooking your chicken or fish, and just put a small amount right on the food as it comes out of the pan. The butter will melt into a fabulous pool of flavor.
Diana Tarasiewicz is a chef instructor at the Colorado Culinary Academy at Mesa State College. She is the former co-owner of DMT Catering, and she also teaches continuing education culinary classes at Willow Pond B&B. She can be reached at worldtable@gmail.com for a complete schedule of available classes.
It is such a delightful herb, that if you get acquainted with it, you can't help but love its wonderful fragrance and affinity to chicken and all things aquatic (well, almost.... I wouldn't pair it with sea cucumber, but then again, there aren't too many things that pair well with that strange Asian delicacy.)
French tarragon has a subtle, warm, anise taste, much more flavorful than its Russian counterpart, which is why we make the distinction. The plant is propagated by cuttings or root ball division only, not by seed, which is one of the ways you can discern it from Russian tarragon. It is a perennial plant and will grow to about 3 feet tall, and get very bushy. It loves a sunny location, good drainage, and will even thrive in a pot. Make sure that if you grow this herb in a pot, you bring it in close to your house for the winter months, and cover it well with mulch, or the roots will get too cold and die. This regretfully happened to my plant last year, and I am in need of a replacement this spring, as it is hard for me to do without.
Historically, French tarragon was used for toothaches, and the Romans used it to treat snakebites. I have absolutely no idea if this actually works, so please don't take my word for it.
One of the most popular uses for tarragon is to make infused vinegar. This allows you to enjoy the taste of fresh picked tarragon all year long. It is actually quite easy to make. All you need is a clean, sterilized bottle of your choice, three to four long sprigs of tarragon, washed and dried, white wine or champagne vinegar, and about a couple dozen whole black peppercorns.
To make the infused vinegar, place the sprigs of tarragon in your bottle of choice, as well as the peppercorns. Pour the vinegar in the bottle to reach the top. Add a cork, or stopper and “voila.” Let steep for a couple of weeks in a dark cool place and you are ready to enjoy your tarragon vinegar in sauces, dressings, marinades and soups, or wherever you need a little boost of acid to complement and heighten flavors. Now, there is a shortcut you can take, which is to warm up the vinegar before you add it to the bottle. This will speed up the process, but wilt your tarragon quickly. What I like to do in that case is to let the tarragon steep in the vinegar for a week or so, and then remove those sprigs and replace them with fresh ones.
One of the most popular uses of tarragon is in the classical French “sauce Bearnaise,” a wonderful tasty, high calorie delight involving lots of butter, egg yolks and tarragon and a little tricky sauce-making. However, if you are not prone to spend a half day's worth of calories on one dish, there are many other delightful uses for tarragon, such as a wonderful butter to be used with grilled chicken, fish or shellfish, or one of my favorites: sauce Tartare.
Now, as Eugene Walter mentions in his book, “Hints & Pinches,” “the ghastly mess passed off in restaurants as tartar sauce bears absolutely no resemblance to the exquisite French ‘sauce Tartare,' flavored with tarragon and capers, and so delicious with any fish or crustaceans.”
Therefore, here is a “sauce Tartare” recipe, adapted from Eugene Walter's original, calling for you to make a homemade mayonnaise. Now, that's not too hard to do, however, I will save that recipe for another column. The following is my adaptation of his recipe.
Enjoy, and please don't forget to e-mail me if there is a specific herb you want me to talk about. Also e-mail me for my complete Cooking Class schedule. The next classes coming up are Chinese dim sum (April 27), Preparing for the Grill (April 29), and many more. Contact me at worldtable@gmail.com.
Sauce Tartare
1/2 cup of Best Foods mayonnaise (or if you are ambitious before dinner, by all means make your own mayonnaise)
1/4 cup sour cream (can be low cal, but NOT fat-free)
2 tsp. finely chopped green olives
2 tsp. finely chopped tarragon
1 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1/2 tsp. finely chopped capers (rinsed from their brine)
Mix all in a bowl and enjoy. I also like to add a few drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Thai Sri Racha sauce (available at Safeway or Carol's Oriental). Just add to your tastebud's tolerances.
Tarragon butter for chicken or seafood
Fabulous on top of broiled, pan-fried or grilled chicken, shellfish or fish. It's also great to put under the skin of a whole chicken, if you are oven-roasting it.
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp chopped French tarragon leaves (no stems)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Butter can be frozen, or used within a couple of days.
To use on broiled, etc... foods, just bring to room temperature before cooking your chicken or fish, and just put a small amount right on the food as it comes out of the pan. The butter will melt into a fabulous pool of flavor.
Diana Tarasiewicz is a chef instructor at the Colorado Culinary Academy at Mesa State College. She is the former co-owner of DMT Catering, and she also teaches continuing education culinary classes at Willow Pond B&B. She can be reached at worldtable@gmail.com for a complete schedule of available classes.
