French Tarragon is SO Easy to Use and Grow©

French Tarragon is SO Easy to  Use and Grow© 

By Arlene Wright-Correll

Often called the “chef’s best friend” or at the very least an essential herb in French cuisine, French tarragon plants (Artemisia dracunculus ‘Sativa’) are sinfully aromatic with a scent redolent of sweet anise and flavor akin to that of licorice. The plants grow to a height of 24 to 36 inches and spread across 12 to 15 inches apart.

French tarragon demands little to keep it lush, just good drainage and regular watering during dry spells. For a continuous harvest, use your pruners to cut back half your plants in June.

NOTE: French Tarragon grows well in a container, but only for a season. After that, its roots outgrow the pot, and it loses flavor.



We love to grow them here at Home Farm Herbery 

 and we love to cook with them!

Though this herb is native to Siberia and western Asia, tarragon is primarily used in France. 

We grow great French Tarragon at Home Farm Herbery where it's often added to white wine vinegar, lending sweet, delicate licorice-like perfume and flavor. It pairs well with fish, omelets, and chicken cooked with mustard, and it's a crucial component of béarnaise sauce.

French tarragon isn't always easy to find, but when you get it, you'll love the bittersweet, peppery taste it imparts. Heat diminishes its flavor, so add tarragon toward the end of cooking, or use it as a garnish. A little goes a long way

Tarragon is a bittersweet herb with a hint of licorice flavor, but too much can overwhelm your recipe. 1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon = 1 teaspoon dried.  Dried tarragon should be kept in a sealed container in a cool, dark place and used within 1 year.

Heat greatly intensifies the flavor of tarragon, both fresh and dried.  Tarragon is also a good herb to use in infused oils.

Tarragon is a prime ingredient in Béarnaise Sauce and the French favorite herb mixture, fines herbes.

Here is our recipe for Home Farm Herbery’s Béarnaise Sauce.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes.

3 tablespoons minced shallots.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar.

2 large egg yolks.

1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice.

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon.

To prepare as follows:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to coat. Stir in vinegar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vinegar is evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking shallots, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer shallot reduction to a small bowl and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, fill a blender with hot water to warm it; set aside. Melt remaining 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is foamy. Transfer butter to a measuring cup.

Drain blender and dry well. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in warm, dry blender. Purée the mixture until smooth. Remove lid insert. With blender running, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream of droplets, discarding milk solids at bottom of measuring cup. Continue blending until a smooth, creamy sauce forms, 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce into a medium bowl. Stir in shallot reduction and tarragon and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Béarnaise and steak is a match made in heaven, but this sauce has a few other divine uses. Try it spooned over poached eggs or spread over roast fish.

May the Creative Force be with you,

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery  LLC