Best Tarragon Butter Recipes

FLOUNDER WITH BROWN BUTTER, LEMON AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Put flour in a low bowl or pie plate and stir in a generous amount of salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
• Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and tilt pan to coat bottom.
• Season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Dip each fillet quickly into flour mixture, shaking off excess flour.
• Lay fillets in skillet in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer cooked fish to a warm platter.
• Leave the heat at medium-high and add cold butter. Let butter sizzle until foamy and brown, but do not let it burn. Add lemon juice, parsley and chopped tarragon and swirl to incorporate.
• Spoon butter sauce over fish. Garnish with a few tarragon leaves and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
• Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.

STEAMED MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE, TARRAGON, SHALLOTS, BUTTER, AND GRILLED FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Sprinkle garlic with a pinch of salt and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the garlic to a coarse paste. Heat the oil in a stockpot on the grates of the grill, add the shallots and garlic and cook until shallots soften. Add the wine, bring to a boil and stir in the mussels. Cover the pot and cook the mussels until all of them have opened, about 6 to 8 minutes, discard any that do not open.
• Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer and whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir in the tarragon. Pour the mixture over the mussels and serve immediately with grilled bread.
• Brush cut side of baguette with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill, cut side down until lightly golden brown.

GRILLED VEAL CHOPS WITH LEMON-MUSTARD-TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat coals in a grill until they are covered with ash (mesquite does magic with grilled meats). Season the veal chops with salt and pepper, then place on the grill and cook to desired doneness.
• While the chops are grilling, place the soft butter in a small mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and incorporate them well with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If making the herb butter far ahead, spoon onto a sheet of wax paper and form a log which can easily be divided later, then refrigerate.).
• When ready to serve, add a dollop of the herb butter atop each veal chop and serve immediately.

WARM BUTTER-POACHED LOBSTER SALAD WITH TARRAGON-CITRUS DRESSING

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and the vinegar. Plunge lobster head-first into water; cook 3 minutes (meat will not be fully cooked). Transfer lobster to a cutting board.
• Using a kitchen towel to protect your hands, twist off tail and claws; discard body. Twist fan off end of tail, and push meat out of shell. Alternatively, use kitchen shears to cut up length of tail, and pull shell away from meat. Cut tail meat in half lengthwise, and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels; set aside. Separate claws from knuckles; twist and pull off pincers, being careful to keep meat intact. With back of knife, crack knuckle end of claw to loosen shell. Gently remove whole piece of meat; set aside with tail. Using your finger or the handle of a spoon, push knuckle meat out of shell. Wipe any white residue off meat. Meat can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 hours ahead; bring to room temperature before poaching.
• Remove peel and pith from tangelo using a sharp knife. Working over a bowl, carve out flesh between membranes, allowing segments to drop into bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl. Transfer juice in bowl to a separate bowl; reserve juice for dressing.
• Put 1/3 cup juice into a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and the tarragon sprig. Submerge lobster meat in the butter sauce. Poach until opaque and cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.
• Whisk 3 tablespoons warm poaching liquid into 2 tablespoons reserved juice in bowl; whisk in pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add lobster to dressing; toss gently to coat. Just before serving, add tangelo segments and tarragon leaves; toss gently to combine. Season with salt.
• Arrange 2 lettuce leaves on each serving plate. Place lobster and tangelo segments on top. Spoon dressing over top.

TARRAGON GARLIC BUTTER (TO DIP YOUR CRAB LEG MEAT!!)

Steps:

• Put butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt.
• Once melted, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a few minutes or until your crab legs are steamed and ready to devour!
• Enjoy!

GRILLED LOBSTER WITH TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Cut lobster tails lengthwise with poultry shears. Cut open claws to allow sauce to reach the meat.
• Combine butter, lemon juice, onion, parsley, garlic, tarragon, and hot sauce in a bowl. Slather meat with sauce and place face-down on the preheated grill.
• Cook until lobster begins to char, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until meat is opaque and firm, 5 to 6 minutes more.

BROILED SALMON WITH TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Melt butter with lemon juice in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add generous amount of pepper. Arrange salmon skin side down on broilerproof pan. Brush with half of butter mixture. Season with salt. Broil without turning until just cooked through. Transfer to plates. Add tarragon to remaining butter. Spoon over salmon and serve.

PAN-SEARED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chicken in 3 or 4 batches, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer as cooked to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
• Return shallot mixture to moderately low heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking until incorporated. Remove from heat and whisk in tarragon, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken.

LEMON SOLE WITH CRAB & TARRAGON BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a small bowl, mash the butter with the tarragon, crabmeat and zest, and season. Make a few deep slashes across the fillets on both sides of the sole, then place the fish, dark-skin up, in a large roasting tin. Season, then stuff the crab butter into the cuts, spreading any remaining butter on top. Lay a few lemon slices over the fish, then pour over the wine.
• Bake for 15-20 mins, depending on the size of the fish - the flesh should flake away easily from the bone when gently pushed with a knife.
• Carefully remove the fish from the tin, place on a warm plate or platter and cover with foil while you make the sauce. Set the tin over a low heat, add 2 tbsp water and bring to the boil. Let the sauce bubble for a few mins, then stir in the capers and cream. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with steamed potatoes and a green salad.

FINGERLING POTATOES WITH TARRAGON CHIVE BUTTER

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert in a large pot. Add enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer. Add in potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil; steam until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Transfer garlic butter to a mini food processor. Add remaining butter, creme fraiche, chives, and tarragon; pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Drain potatoes and place in a bowl. Gently break open using the back of a large spoon, but do not mash. Mix in about 1/2 of the garlic-herb butter. Season with salt and pepper.

FISH FILLETS WITH LEMON TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Salt and pepper tops of fish.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet.
• Add fish, top side down and cook over high heat until brown on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Turn and cook until fish flakes, about 3 minutes. Timing depends on thickness of the fish.
• Remove to a platter.
• Over low heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet.
• Stir in lemon juice and tarragon.
• Spoon over fish.

SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON CREAM AND WILTED BUTTER LETTUCE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add cream, 3 teaspoons tarragon, and Pernod, if using. Simmer until sauce coats back of spoon, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper; cook until brown and almost cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plate. Add lettuce to drippings in skillet; toss until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce onto 2 plates; divide lettuce between plates. Place 4 scallops on each plate; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon tarragon.

TARRAGON-ROASTED HALIBUT WITH HAZELNUT BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Coarsely chop; set aside.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Scatter tarragon sprigs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place halibut on top, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until halibut is just opaque in the center, 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until butter foams, then browns (don't let it burn), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let brown butter cool slightly. Stir in lemon juice, hazelnuts, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve fish with hazelnut brown butter sauce and lemon halves.

STEAM/SAUTEED GREEN BEANS WITH BUTTER AND TARRAGON

Steps:

• Bring the water, butter, salt and green beans to a boil in a Dutch oven or large deep skillet. Cover and steam over medium-high heat until the vegetable is brightly colored and just tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and continue to cook until the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes longer, adding the tarragon at this point. Saute to intensify flavors, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Adjust seasonings, including pepper to taste, and serve.

HOT LOBSTER ROLL WITH LEMON-TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• To par-cook the lobsters: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lobsters and cook about 7 minutes; they will be about three-quarters done. Drain well and let cool. Cut in half lengthwise.
• Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high for direct grilling. Brush the cut-side of the lobsters with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, cut-side down, until slightly charred. Flip and continue grilling until lightly charred and heated through. Remove the lobsters from the grill and let cool slightly.
• Brush the insides of the hot dog buns with some oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just toasty.
• Remove the tail and claw meat from the lobsters. You can cut them, but just enough to give you about 2 very large pieces per bun. Drop them into the Lemon-Tarragon Clarified Butter and give them a good soaking. Spoon the lobster into the toasted buns and serve immediately.
• Melt the butter slowly in a medium saucepan over low heat. Let it sit for a bit to separate. Skim off the foam that rises to the top, and gently pour into a bowl, leaving behind the milk solids, which have settled to the bottom of the pan.
• Put the clarified butter in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and tarragon, and season with salt, pepper and cayenne if desired.

TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer. Mix in lemon juice, tarragon, black pepper, and shallot. Season to taste with salt. Chill for at least 1 hour.

LEMON TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Beat all ingredients until blended. Shape into a log; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to several months.

ROAST TURKEY WITH TARRAGON-SHALLOT BUTTER

Steps:

• Let the turkey sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the packet of neck and giblets from the turkey and set aside. Cut away any fatty pieces near the cavity or neck and discard. Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper inside and out.
• Combine the butter, tarragon, lemon juice, shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl with a rubber spatula. Loosen the skin over the turkey breast and push half of the butter mixture under the skin and over the breast meat. Rub the skin with the rest of the butter mixture. Stuff the cavity with the parsley and lemons. Tie the legs together with twine. Tuck the wings under the body and put the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan.
• Roast until the turkey begins to turn golden, about 25 minutes. Loosely tent the breast with foil, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Continue roasting, basting with pan drippings every 30 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh joint reaches about 155 degrees F. Remove the foil and continue roasting until it reaches 165 degrees F, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey and rack to a cutting board and let rest about 30 minutes.
• Discard the parsley and lemons from the cavity before carving.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND TARRAGON BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Stir together butter, zest, tarragon, salt, and pepper.
• Pat chicken dry and arrange, skin sides up, in a shallow roasting pan (1 inch deep). Loosen skin on chicken by gently working your fingers between skin and meat, keeping skin attached on 1 side and being careful not to tear skin. Rub butter mixture evenly under skin of each piece of chicken, then rub top of chicken with butter remaining on your hands. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake chicken in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into fleshy part of chicken (do not touch bone) registers 170°F, about 30 minutes.