Tarragon, cut

Cut tarragon, the aniseed herb of French cooking

Tarragon is the key herb of fine French cooking, with its unmistakable, lightly aniseed and sweetly savoury aroma. Our tarragon is carefully dried and cut so that it is easy to dose and releases its full aroma when cooked in or just before serving. Packed in our workshop in Klingenberg am Main.

How to use

Tarragon is indispensable for the classic sauce béarnaise and light cream sauces. It goes with poultry, fish, egg dishes, potatoes and herb butter. It also gives mustard, vinegar and pickled gherkins their typical note. Add it early enough during cooking, or stir it in just before serving.

Good to know: tarragon is strongly aromatic. Dose sparingly and work your way up, otherwise the aniseed note dominates. Store dry and protected from light.

Recipe: classic sauce béarnaise

The queen of sauces for steak and asparagus, with tarragon at its heart.

Ingredients:

• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar, 4 tbsp white wine
• 2 tsp cut tarragon
• 3 egg yolks
• 200 g clarified butter
• salt, pepper

Preparation: reduce the shallots, vinegar, wine and half the tarragon until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Let cool and pass through a sieve. Whisk the reduction with the egg yolks over a water bath until creamy, then slowly stir in the clarified butter. Season with salt, pepper and the remaining tarragon.

What makes tarragon special?

Its aroma comes from the essential oil estragole, which gives it the typical aniseed and liquorice note. Unlike robust herbs such as rosemary, tarragon is fine and elegant, which is why it is irreplaceable in classic French sauce cookery.

At a glance

• Dried, cut tarragon, easy to dose
• Finely savoury with a characteristic aniseed note
• A classic for sauce béarnaise and cream sauces
• Goes with poultry, fish, eggs and herb butter
• Packed in Klingenberg am Main

Goes well with

In French cooking, tarragon combines well with Herbes de Provence and a fine white pepper for light sauces. For vinaigrette and mustard sauces, our Dijon mustard fine is a great match. Find more herbs in our herb collection.

Frequently asked questions

What do I use tarragon for?
For sauce béarnaise and light cream sauces, with poultry, fish, egg dishes, potatoes and herb butter. Also in mustard, herb vinegar and pickled gherkins.

What does tarragon taste like?
Fine, lightly sweet and with a characteristic aniseed and liquorice note. Elegant and not intrusive, which is why it is so popular in fine cooking.

Can I use dried tarragon like fresh?
Dried tarragon is more concentrated, so you need less of it. It is best cooked in early enough so it can release its aroma.

How do I store tarragon correctly?
Dry, cool and protected from light in the tightly closed tin. That way the fine aroma is preserved for a long time.