Tarragon is a common herb in many kitchens. It is widely used as a key ingredient in numerous recipes, and it has unique flavoring properties that can be utilized for multiple purposes, most notably within French cuisine. We discuss all things tarragon in this article – what is it, how does it taste and when do you use these herbs with substitutions perfect for each profile.
What is Tarragon?
Tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus (a perennial herb in the sunflower family) features long, thin green leaves and has a distinct mild vanilla with a licorice-like aftertaste. The French are famous for Tarragon which is the mainstay herb in their cookery and is used widely in Béarnaise sauce, taragon chicken to name a few along with different soups and salads. The leaves can either be used fresh or dried, and they also come in a vinegar variety called taragon vinegar.
What Does Tarragon Taste Like?
Tarragon has a unique taste which is rather complicated. It is a licorice with a little sweet taste, different from anise or fennel. This makes it a versatile favorite in many recipes, lending complexity and an earthy sweetness that pairs well with other flavors. Tarragon generally has a taste similar to anise and fennel, so the herb can be used in both savory dishes as well as time together with some sweet recipes.
How to Use Tarragon in Kitchen
As mentioned above, taragon is popular as a culinary herb that can be used for strong flavor. This is a common herb used to make dishes, one of the most famous dishes used taragon as an ingredient in it and that was called tarragon chicken. Basil is also a natural herb that pairs well with chicken adding flavor as well fragrance. Those delicate taragon leaves find their way into salads, too – as part of the fresh layer in a warm chicken and tarragon salad.
Besides being it in chicken recipes, this is an essential part of several sauces. The classic French sauce béarnaise is a tarragon lover’s dream come true. Culinary uses Tarragon vinegar, which if you have never tried it before needs a ton of experience to get right. Adding this vinegar will help make your dish great with its zest of herbs & sour amalgam.
Tarragon Substitutes
If you are faced with a missing bottle or prefer another flavor profile, try these substitutes instead. Basil tastes sweet and peppery, which makes it the most common alternative to taragon. Basil will replicate tarragon’s sugariness, and the herb rises in numerous dishes.
Dill is another good tarragon substitute. Dill has a dainty, somewhat lemony taste and takes tarragon’s place in plans, but it does miss the licorice quality that taragon brings. Fennel fronds (what you usually throw out) are also a good substitute. Fennel has an anise-like flavor too and hence can be a good substitute.
Anise seeds, another spice that can be used in place of this, have a very powerful licorice flavor like tarragon and are highly concentrated flavors that should not be abused. Chervil is an herb you might not be familiar with, but it can also do the trick when replacing taragon. It has a subtle flavor of anise and parsley.
Tarragon in French Cuisine
Another place where taragon has been used is the “fines herbes” of French cuisine, which consists of parsley, chives, and sometimes chervil. These herbs are commonly used together in countless French recipes to give a light and refreshing taste. Especially, tarragon makes French sauces a pretty big play, like missiles and the Hollandaise.
In addition to sauces, the French use tarragon in soups, stews, and salads. It is great to use with poultry, fish, and eggs, which makes tarragon a rather versatile herb in French cuisine. The French use tarragon to infuse vinegar and oils for dressings or marinades.
Taragon Vinegar
This is a type of flavored vinegar, commonly made by soaking fresh tarragon leaves in white vinegar. Balsamic Vinegar – old balsamic from Italy is used in salad dressings, marinades, and sauces to provide a tangy yet mellow flavor with hints of herbs. It is easy to make tarragon vinegar at home, and doing so allows you to control the strength of the tarragon flavor.
For tarragon vinegar, you can use fresh or dried leaves of the herb, white wine vinegar, and a clean glass jar. Stuff the jar with tarragon leaves and pour over vinegar, ensuring that all of the leaves are fully covered. Seal the jar and allow it to infuse in a cool, dark space for 2 weeks. After this time, strain the vinegar to separate from the leaves and transfer it into a clean bottle. Tarragon vinegar lasts up to six months in the refrigerator.
Taragon in Salads
They help in making salads more flavorful and interesting to eat, basically by providing a different flavor of tarragon. Tarragon Chicken Salad – among many dishes using the herb. Aside from ingredients that we’ve used before like shredders of chicken, good ol’ mayo, and the classic Dijon mustard, it also contains fresh taragon leaves.
These three things together form a creamy, aromatic salad that is good either on sandwiches or as part of the leafy bed. Besides chicken salad, tarragon can also be used in green salads, pasta salads, and potato salads. With its intense notes of natural licorice, the flavor is perfect to temper other vegetables and complement proteins. In salads, it’s better to use fresh leaves of taragon so that you can appreciate the flavor.
Health Benefits
Tarragon is a piquant herb but is also associated with numerous health benefits. It is full of antioxidants which protect the body against damage caused by free radicals. Storer suggests adding taragon to ramp compounds due to its healthful properties, “It contains essential oils made up of really good chemicals that are proven to be anti-inflammatory, and it has some vitamins like A and C – and potassium.”
This is used as a digestive aid by the followers of traditional medicine. It’s well known that it increases your appetite and digestive system. It also has antimicrobial powers, which make tarragon perfect for fighting infection. It would seem that taragon has anti-inflammatory properties and some research establishes it as a great natural burner of the body’s inflammatory processes.
Growing Tarragon
A useful and versatile herb, you can grow taragon in your garden. This is like a sunny spot with well-drained soil. You can propagate it from seed, cuttings, or by dividing plants. French tarragon, the variety most commonly used in cooking, is usually propagated through cuttings as it rarely produces viable seeds.
Tarragon does not need much care once planted. It needs a good draught and prefers regular water with some feeding from time to time. Prune tarragon plants early and often to cascade new growth and keep them from becoming too woody.
Storing Taragon
This is a delicate herb and storage matters! Fresh Tarragon – Wrapped in a damp paper towel and placed in a plastic bag, stored in the refrigerator. With this method, you can store the leaves fresh for up to 1 week.
This is suitable for drying and also can be frozen. Hang the sprigs by their stems upside down in a dark, cool place until all leaves are completely dry 1 to 2 weeks. Dry them and crush them into flakes before storing in an airtight container. Frozen tarragon will retain more flavor than dried. lay taragon leaves in a sheet/pan and freeze them flat. To store for the long term, transfer frozen leaves to a freezer bag.
The Bottom Line
This is one of those herbs that can be used in just about anything. This is why it has become a much-loved staple in French cuisine and beyond thanks to its distinctive aniseed fennel back note. This tasty herb, used in dishes like this chicken and placed in (tarragon vinegar) or added to a fresh salad adds an almond-like yet delicate extra flavor to your recipes. Although it can be replaced by several other alternatives also, taragon itself is not much far from us.
