Years ago I planted French tarragon in a big wine barrel in the backyard. One of the many good things about this herb is that it keeps coming back year after year from the same root stock. And seemingly, it keeps getting better the more mature the root stock becomes.
This year, it’s embarrassingly plentiful and lush. It’s tender and juicy, almost like baby spinach, and the fragrance is heavenly.
Last night I minced up a big handful, mixed it with sautéed shallots and soft butter, and stuffed it up under the skin of a butterflied organic chicken. The chicken was roasted until crisp on the outside and juicy inside and we devoured every bit of it at dinner and left no leftovers.
I also like to mince it up and add it to tartar sauce or beat it into eggs to make a very simple omelet aux fine herbes.
The thing is, I don’t know anyone else who cooks with it or is familiar with it even by name, which is a shame. It’s one of the best herbs going, and late winter/early spring is when it’s prime. I’m up to my knees in tarragon, yet can’t share it with anyone else.
I’m just about to start on some chicken in white wine, mushroom and artichoke sauce for dinner… and I was just thinking to myself what a shame it was that I hadn’t picked up fresh tarragon on the way home. I guess I’ll settle for the dried stuff and add a dash of jealousy.
Ooh, I forgot about Bearnaise sauce. I haven’t made it in years. Thanks for the reminder - I think I might have a couple of filet mignons somewhere in the freezer.
I just made some Bearnaise a few days ago, using both the fresh herb and tarragon vinegar. So many calories, but sooo good too!
And I’m another vote for ‘send some to me!’ because it’s hard to come by fresh here. I ended up buying two packages when I finally found some and froze what I didn’t need right away.
