Tarragon

     I love a flavorful, juicy chicken as much as anyone, but there can be a problem. It's always the same old recipe, the same boring flavor. Sure you can bread it, add lemon, maybe even barbecue sauce, but why not do something simple that will really elevate your flavors? I like to use herbs; they are fun, flavorful and anyone can do it. One herb I like to use for chicken is tarragon. The bright anise flavor makes it one of many herbs suitable for this application. Never heard of it? You're missing out. I think tarragon is one of the most versatile herbs in the kitchen

      I always recommend growing your own herbs. True French tarragon NEVER goes to seed, so you always have to buy an established seedling. When in doubt smell and/or taste your leaves if possible. If it almost numbs your senses, you have the right plant. This same procedure should also be applied every time you purchase a bunch from the grocery store.

Growing your own herbs at home is easy

      Tarragon should be a part of every cook's basic toolkit. It's tasty and versatile as can be. Traditionally tarragon is used as the main flavoring in Béarnaise sauce.  It is a variation on hollandaise, one of the five French " Mother Sauces". (A very good recipe for Béarnaise can be found here)

Tarragon vinegar

      Tarragon isn't just an herb for chicken either; like I said it's versatile. Another use for tarragon that's maybe more well known to American cooks is tarragon vinegar. For this preparation sprigs of tarragon are fermented in a bottle of vinegar for usually a week (longer if you want it stronger and vice versa.) Shake it for a few seconds daily. White wine vinegar would be traditional, but I've heard of using champagne and white balsamic vinegars as well. Whatever you do please don't ever use the white distilled stuff that you put in easter egg coloring. Tarragon vinegar makes excellent salad dressing, it also can be used in place of that squeeze of lemon on shrimp for a different flavor.

     Tarragon also plays well as a flavoring for fish, but add it either after cooking during a rest period or just before cooking is complete. Add tarragon also as a final flavor in soups. Again, add it at the end as tarragon's delicacy would easily cause the flavor to be ruined if added too early. Tarragon makes a great filling for an omelette. Adding the rest of the fines herbes in would only make it better. Including tarragon in a hollandaise would make an excellent topping for Eggs Benedict. I would just suggest using Béarnaise, but the cleaner flavors of hollandaise would work better

      I hope you can make room for tarragon in your arsenal of everyday flavor weapons, I'm sure you, and your family, will appreciate it.

Tell me, have you used tarragon? How, and what did you think?