Tarragon, King in My Kitchen

Tarragon - you either love it or you don't. I discovered it late, after I moved to Cluj. No one in my family had ever used it for cooking and I don't remember seeing it in the neighbors' gardens. But when I tasted it for the first time, I developed a passion for it. Every year I try to find new and interesting combinations that showcase tarragon. Since last year I even have my own tarragon bush. I took my grandmother two seedlings so she could see what this wonderful herb is like. She grew it, I assume she tried it, and I assume she didn't like it. Because this year I received the following message from her: "Ioana, your tarragon has grown, come pick it because I already have to tie up the bush, it's so big." If it's MY tarragon, then she clearly didn't like it. Now I'm thinking she didn't combine it properly and I absolutely have to make time to cook her something with tarragon, maybe, maybe. This year she turns 80 and I don't think it's too late for a new passion. Passions keep us focused and... alive.

Tarragon is a very aromatic herb, with an intense taste, slightly reminiscent of fennel or anise or perhaps lovage, but much more cheerful and lively. The French call it "the king of herbs."

There are two types of tarragon: French (estragon) and Russian. The Russian one has no taste, and I discovered this the hard way. I was once making a soup with tarragon from the market. After chopping almost a whole bunch of tarragon, the soup still had no taste. I called my mother-in-law who had experience with it and asked her what could have happened. She told me laughing that I had bought "false tarragon" instead of the "original." Then I learned about the two types. Since then I taste the tarragon every time before buying it. If you don't want to taste it at the market (well, it's unwashed), just tear off a leaf and rub it between your fingers. If it smells intensely of... tarragon 😋 then it's okay.

Quantity-wise, a little is used in dishes because it's very aromatic. It goes well in salads, soups, stews, but recently I discovered it also fits in desserts. In cooked dishes, it's recommended to add it towards the end, so the volatile oils don't evaporate.

Storage: either frozen, or in vinegar or with salt. It's not good dried (dehydrated) - it loses its aroma and becomes grassy, almost smelling like tobacco.

Good combinations with tarragon: mustard, vinegar (so in dressings and vinaigrettes; hollandaise and béarnaise sauce), eggs, sour cream, fresh cheese, mayonnaise, beans, mushrooms, fish, butter

My recipes with tarragon:

1. Transylvanian pork sour soup
   
2. Meatball soup with sour cream
3. Chicken with tarragon
4. Chicken in mustard and tarragon sauce
5. Baked meatballs with parmesan and tarragon
6. Pan-fried salmon with spinach and potatoes in mustard and tarragon sauce
7. Tomato soup with tarragon
8. Cheese sweet bread
9. Herb loaf cake
10. Rice with mussels
11. Cream of potato soup
12. Celery salad
13. Grapefruit sorbet
14. Mashed potatoes with tarragon
15. New carrots with garlic and tarragon
16. Tarragon-infused oil
17. Tarragon deviled eggs
18. Parsley sauce

And I'm not stopping here... If you love tarragon too, write me the best combinations you've tried - I'm open to anything.