Tip: tarragon in everything
You may not always think to use tarragon, except when a recipe specifically calls for it. That perfectly cooked steak with béarnaise, for example. But once your love for this herb has been sparked, you won’t want anything else.
It has a fairly distinctive flavor that you may need to get used to at first. The flavor is anise-like, reminiscent of licorice and slightly sweet. It goes very well with chicken, mushrooms and creamy sauces. That’s why it is used so much in French cuisine, for example. These are our favorite tarragon combinations.
Chicken
Chicken and tarragon are a match made in heaven. One of my go-tos when I’m very hungry but have little inspiration is to brown chicken thighs, deglaze with white wine, then add mustard and crème fraîche. Put the lid on and let it simmer until the chicken is cooked, then finish with pepper, salt and a whole lot of tarragon. Joris Bijdendijk also has a fantastic chicken and tarragon recipe to make right away.
Béarnaise
Pretty standard when you think of tarragon, but it is still incredibly delicious. Try thinking out of the box about what to serve it with. Do you normally always go for a beautiful beef steak? Its fresh, tart and herbal flavor also works very well with lamb or asparagus.
Lobster
Lobster is already such a beautiful ingredient that you really don’t need to do much with it. Simply gratinating it in the oven with tarragon butter is all it takes for a spectacular meal.
Cheese
Burrata with tarragon: yesssss! Make this recipe with burrata and sugar snaps and you’ll understand our enthusiasm. Also try experimenting with Mahón, a semi-hard to hard cow’s milk cheese from Spain (depending on its age). Mahón is traditionally eaten with olive oil, fresh black pepper and tarragon—and tell us: doesn’t that sound delicious?
Mushrooms on toast
A favorite dish, no question. Mushrooms in a creamy sauce on crusty bread—and yes, they become even more delicious with tarragon. On the side: chicory soup (with tarragon, of course!) from Oma Ditje.
Cocktail
More in the mood for a liquid dinner? Try adding tarragon to your gin & tonic. You do need to make tarragon syrup for it, but you can keep that for a long time. That means weekends of cocktail enjoyment.
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