A touch of tarragon
Herb needs to come out of the cupboard
When I think of tarragon, I think of France. And Julia Child, summery poached eggs, Dijon mustard and Green Goddess salad dressing.
When I think of tarragon, I become nostalgic and wistful for things I can’t even fathom — I suspect it comes from inhaling the intoxicating aroma that comes when you rub tarragon between your fingertips. It makes you think of adventures that you’ve always longed to take, but never did.
Tarragon is one of those delicate yet heady herbs that many keep jarred at the back of a kitchen cabinet, purchased on a whim and then promptly forgotten. Or to be glanced crammed together with all the other fresh herbs at your local grocery store, vying for attention. Yet, with its mild anise flavour, it’s an herb just waiting to get asked out to the culinary dance.
Belonging to the sunflower family, it’s one of the four main herbs in classic French cooking, as described in the excellent The Story of Food — An Illustrated History of Everything We Eat (DK). According to Juriaan Snellen, executive corporate chef for McCormick Canada, tarragon is “highly aromatic with a licorice-like flavour, used in roast chicken, eggs, herb butter and vinaigrettes.” Tarragon is also best known as an important ingredient in the classic bearnaise sauce — “the emulsified lukewarm egg/butter sauce that’s usually served alongside bistro-favourite steak frites.” In fact, Bearn, in southwest France, is the birthplace for this delicious sauce.
Tarragon has been used for centuries in places like Southern Russia, Western Asia, France and England, adds Juriaan, and the light to dark green leaf is "unique from any other herb.”
When was the last time you took tarragon out for a whirl? Perhaps the following recipes will get you excited for this heavenly herb.
TARRAGON SALMON
Serve this summery dish with a favourite side salad. Recipe courtesy Nigella Lawson (Nigella.com)
¼ cup (60mL) dry white vermouth or white wine
1 tsp. (5mL) EACH dried tarragon and dried chives
1 tsp. (5mL) unsalted butter
2 tsp. (10mL) garlic-infused olive oil (or 1 Tbsp./15mL olive oil with ½ tsp.(2mL) organic garlic powder)
2 salmon fillets (5-6oz./125-150g) each
¼ cup (60mL) double cream
Salt/pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh tarragon and chopped fresh chives, to garnish
Pour vermouth into a cup and stir in dried herbs. Put to one side. Heat butter and garlic oil in a small frying pan in which two salmon fillets will fit snugly. When it begins to sizzle, add salmon and cook, hump-side down, for two minutes. Turn over salmon, add vermouth with its herbs and, once it comes to a bubble, cook for a further twothree minutes. Remove salmon fillets to a couple of plates; stir cream into pan, seasoning to taste. Garnish each fillet with fresh chopped tarragon and chives.
Serves 2.
CREAMY TARRAGON MUSTARD DRESSING
Use this delicious, fragrant salad dressing recipe on any combination of greens, or use it for a pasta salad, or drizzled on a few boiled baby potatoes. Adapted from a recipe courtesy Vitamix.com/ca
¼ cup (60mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. (30mL) EACH Dijon mustard and tarragon vinegar
1 Tbsp. (15mL) apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. (15mL) olive oil
1 Tbsp. (15mL) chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. (15mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 green onions, white parts with some green, finely minced
¼ tsp. (1mL) salt
Pinch white pepper
1 tsp. (5mL) sugar
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend to emulsify. Pour into a glass jar, cover and store in fridge for up to three days.
TIGERTAIL COCKTAIL
Tarragon in a cocktail? Absolutely! The herb adds a refreshing element to this cocktail, created exclusively by Grey Goose famed vodka created in France. @GreyGooseCanada
1.5 oz. favourite vodka
¼ oz. orange liqueur
¼ oz Green Chartreuse*
½ oz honey syrup**
½ oz lime juice
2 oz. sparkling water (Perrier suggested)
3 slices of nectarine
Tarragon as a garnish
Combine all ingredients, except for sparkling water, in a cocktail shaker, shake with ice. Pour cocktail over fresh ice cubes in a rocks glass. Top with 2 oz. of sparkling water, garnish with slices of nectarine and sprigs of fresh tarragon.
*Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur made by the Carthusian Monks since 1737. This spirit is made with more than 130 herbs, and the addition of Chartreuse to this cocktail enhances the anise and herbaceous notes of tarragon.
**To make honey syrup: choose 1 cup/250mL of your favourite honey and add 1 cup/250mL of hot water, stir until combined. Once cool, store in fridge.
GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
A retro-favourite and throw-back to the Mad Men era, Green Goddess dressing was a ’60s standard! Note, this dressing can be made two or three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Perfect with Boston Bibb greens.
1½ light cups mayonnaise (375mL)
½ cup (125mL) sour cream
7 anchovy fillets, mashed
1 tsp. (5mL) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. (30mL) minced fresh tarragon leaves
2 Tbsp. (30mL) minced fresh chives
2 green onions, whites with some green, finely minced
½ cup (125mL) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup (60mL) tarragon vinegar1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. (1mL) salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate.
Makes about 1½ cups (375mL)