A coworker recently asked me what my favorite nontraditional herb is. It was a great question, and after a few moments of thought, my answer was tarragon. Its combination of minty, licorice, and peppery flavor can be polarizing for some, but for me, it makes a unique addition to your breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Early uses of tarragon were primarily medicinal, but when it made its way over to Europe and finally to the United States, it found a home in French cuisine. A classic use for tarragon is in béarnaise sauce (a sauce made of clarified butter, egg yolk, white wine vinegar, shallots and tarragon). Its uses have expanded from sauces, marinades and dressings, to chicken and fish dishes, and even in adult beverages as a syrup. Bottom line, it’s a very cool herb and more home cooks should consider using it.
Since answering this question, I have had tarragon on my mind. After leaving a Passover dinner with an entire Tupperware of leftover boiled chicken used for matzo ball soup in tow, I decided I’d make the best use of this prepped protein: chicken salad. I knew I wanted to highlight tarragon in the chicken salad, but it needed to be balanced with some sweetness and some acid to cut through the anise-forward herb. I grabbed grapes and cranberries to accomplish this, celery for a little crunch and Dijon and vinegar for a little bit of acidity.
I started by breaking down the boiled chicken. It was in whole pieces, breast, thighs and wings. After taking all the meat off the bones, I grabbed a hand mixer to shred the remainder. If you don’t have a hand mixer, either two forks or your hands are perfectly fine for shredding.
I recommend mixing the tarragon mayo in a separate bowl before adding it to the chicken so that you can hone in on the flavors. The chicken I used was boiled and unseasoned, which makes for a great base, but you can use just about any other method of cooked chicken. If you use a store-bought roasted chicken, there is likely seasoning on it that you’ll need to account for when adding anything else.
I combined tarragon, mayo, small diced celery, dried cranberries, halved seedless red grapes, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Taste, taste, taste! I wanted tarragon to be the star, but if you want it to be more subtle, cut back on the quantity.
Once you’re happy with the flavor, toast some of your favorite bread and fill it with chicken salad or just eat it out of a bowl with some crackers. Next time you’re in the fresh herbs aisle of the grocery store, reach for some tarragon and get creative!
Chicken Salad with Tarragon Mayo
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
1 lb of cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup tarragon, finely chopped
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup celery, small diced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
- Place the chicken in a large bowl. Shred using a hand mixer, two forks, or your hands. Season with salt and pepper (if not seasoned already).
- In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the mayo, tarragon, grapes, celery, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly.
- Combine the tarragon mayo with the chicken and stir together until fully coated. Serve right away or chill before serving.
Learn how to make the classic Béarnaise sauce that features tarragon as well as a slew of other sauces to elevate your cooking in hands-on Sauce Boot Camp on Saturday, June 21 at 10am at Lincoln Square.
