Tarragon is highly popular in the culinary traditions of the Caucasus and Mediterranean countries. For us, tarragon is most familiar thanks to the drink “Tarhun.” Fresh tarragon greens are added to salads made from fresh vegetables alongside traditional parsley and dill. It is served with grilled beef and lamb, used to season cold soups like okroshka, and added to creamy and vegetable-based soups.
Tarragon is also used for pickling and fermenting vegetables and for making aromatic vinegars for meat and fish.
Growing tarragon at home on a windowsill
is not difficult. Thanks to its rich
chemical composition
, it offers numerous health benefits and is used not only in
medicine
but also in
cosmetology
.
I have such an abundance of tarragon that I don’t know what to do with it. So, dear readers, I want to share with you some great, simple recipes featuring tarragon.
Drinks with Tarragon
Green Cocktail with Tarragon
- Sparkling water - 0.5 L
- Water for syrup - 1 cup
- Fresh tarragon - 1 bunch
- Lemon balm - a few leaves
- Lime or lemon - 1
- Sugar to taste
- Ripe kiwi - 2
Chop the greens in a blender. Boil a cup of water, add sugar and greens, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool and then strain the greens through a sieve or cheesecloth. Blend the fruits with sugar in a blender. Pour the syrup into glasses, add the syrup from the greens, and top with sparkling water. Crushed ice can also be added.
Homemade Tarhun No.1
For 1.5 liters of sparkling water, take 3-4 limes or 2 large lemons, sugar to taste, and a large bunch of tarragon. Blend the tarragon and limes with sugar in a blender, pour in water, and let it infuse. Straining is optional. A tip: industrial Tarhun often has a slight vanilla flavor, so feel free to experiment with adding vanilla. I would also throw in a clove bud.
Weight-Loss Cocktail with Tarragon
For half a glass of water, use 1 grapefruit, a small bunch of tarragon, and 2 celery stalks (a negative calorie food). Blend the grapefruit pulp, greens, and celery in a blender, add water, and enjoy this in between main meals!
Meat with Tarragon
Rabbit in Apple Marinade with Tarragon
For 2 kg of rabbit meat: a few garlic cloves, 2 onions, 0.5 liters of apple juice, 1 cup of sour cream, a bunch of fresh tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste. Marinate the rabbit in a mixture of apple juice, chopped onion, minced greens, and garlic, preferably overnight. Cut the rabbit as desired. Add salt just before frying.
Fry on both sides until half-cooked, pour in the marinade, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Add sour cream to the meat and leave it in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Chicken with Tarragon Sauce
- Chicken fillet - 3 pieces
- Chicken broth - 1 cup
- A bunch of tarragon
- Half a cup of dry white wine
- Sour cream - 2/3 cup
- Mustard - 1 tsp
- Green onions - 3-4 stalks
- Small onion
- Garlic - 1 clove
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a small amount of hot oil, fry finely chopped onions until golden, then add garlic, thinly sliced. Carefully pour broth and wine into the pan. Heat the mixture for 3-5 minutes. For convenience, slightly freeze the chicken fillet to slice it into 1 cm thick medallions. Add sour cream, mustard, and greens to the sauce. Let the aromas meld for a few minutes under a lid on very low heat. Add the medallions to the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. You can also add feta or goat cheese as a complement.
Sauces with Tarragon
Béarnaise Sauce with Tarragon
- Fresh tarragon - 3 tbsp preferred
- Broth or water - 1 cup
- Dry white wine - 100 g
- 6% vinegar - 100 g
- Butter - 125 g
- Egg yolks - 2
- Pepper to taste, salt
Carefully melt the butter over low heat without stirring. Skim off the foam. Mix half the tarragon, pepper, and salt with vinegar, broth, and wine. Allow the liquid to reduce by half. Cool and strain. Mix the liquid and yolks, and heat while whisking for one minute. Remove from heat, pour in the butter, and whisk until the mixture resembles mayonnaise. Add the remaining tarragon. If the sauce doesn’t thicken enough, you can add a pinch of flour. It pairs well with meats and even as a dressing for vegetable salads.
Herring Sauce with Tarragon
- Boiled egg yolks - 2
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Vinegar - 50 g
- Salt to taste
- Mustard - 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil - 2 tsp
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Tarragon - 2 sprigs
Mustard Sauce with Tarragon
Mix mustard, sugar, salt, and egg yolks, gradually adding oil. Then add minced tarragon and lemon juice. Use the sauce to season herring. It pairs well with pickled onions.
Simple Appetizer with Tarragon
A bunch of fresh tarragon, 50 grams of sour cream, 50 grams of mayonnaise, garlic to taste. Blend the herbs and garlic in a blender, then mix with mayonnaise and sour cream. You can also add cheese, capers, or pickled cucumbers. Perfect on bread, with potatoes, or meat.
Tarragon can also be added to pickling marinades for tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini.
