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Make sure you buy French
tarragon, which has been described as the king
of herbs, and not Russian tarragon which is practically
tasteless. This herb spreads like mint, its underground
runners producing a fresh crop of leaves each
year. It is not completely hardy, so cover the
plants with ashes or straw in autumn after the
foliage has died down.
Tarragon needs well-drained soil in a sheltered
position. Plant a pot-grown specimen in March
– remove flowering shoots to maintain the
supply of fresh leaves on the bush. The leaves
should be picked from June to October for immediate
use – the surplus can be dried or preserved
by the ice-cube method.
Tarragon is a basic feature of French cooking,
and is used in many classical chicken and fish
dishes. Chopped leaves are steeped in wine vinegar
to produce tarragon vinegar, chopped leaves in
butter are served with steak and fresh leaves
are used in omelettes, salads, sauces and with
shellfish.
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