You know, there really isn't such a thing as a brand new recipe. It's all been done before. The other day, I "invented"- or at least, thought I did- a delicious new piquant sauce based on the licorice flavours of tarragon, combined with the creamy, slightly sugary floral flavour of vanilla; and hey presto! I see that one of the top 50 restaurants in the world already has it on their menu. Shucks. I think it would work brilliantly with chicken, and perhaps, even better with a meaty fish, monkfish, perhaps- even salmon?
Before I tell you how I made it, here's a brief look at the two main ingredients, tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) and vanilla. I'm quite keen on growing herbs in our London garden (sometimes it's an uphill struggle), but I've never managed to grow tarragon properly. I gather this is a difficult one. Rather splendidly, Tarragon also goes under the alternative name of "Dragon's Wort". The serpentine shape of tarragon's roots made herbalists believe that it could cure snake bite, hence the Latin "dracunculus", meaning "Little Dragon". There are two varieties of tarragon, French and Russian. Russian tarragon is easier to grow but doesn't taste as good as French tarragon.
Vanilla comes from an orchid native to Mexico and after saffron, is the second most expensive spice in the world. The Spanish word "vainilla" means "little pod". Originally cultivated by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples, the Spanish conquistador Hernán (or Hernando) Cortés is credited with introducing both vanilla and chocolate to Europe in the 1520's.
Here's how to make Cream of Tarragon and Vanilla Sauce, courtesy of The Greasy Spoon:
Melt some unsalted butter in a smallish pan; chop up about three of four shallots and sweat them gently in the butter. Turn up the heat and add a generous slug of a dry vermouth such as Noilly Prat (rhymes with cat). Bubble away to burn off the alcohol. Add a dash of balsamic white vinegar and let the sauce bubble for a minute or so.
Next, pour in some decent chicken stock, add a scraped out vanilla pod and seeds, and a handful of chopped tarragon leaves. Reduce on a high heat, until the broth is reduced by about half- and starts to thicken. Strain through a seive into a new, clean and cold pan, discarding the tarragon leaves, vanilla and shallots. Alllow the sauce to cool down for a few minutes.
Very carefully (so that it doesn't curdle) mix in a small tub of double cream. Turn your stove up to a high heat and reduce (with only the very occasional stir) until the sauce is reasonably thick. Check the seasoning and if necessary add some Maldon Sea Salt and White Pepper. For that extra vanilla kick, you could always substitute the Maldon Salt with a pinch or two of Vanilla Fleur de Sel, the delicious (and expensive) vanilla flavoured sea salt you can buy from French delis. Stir in some freshly chopped tarragon leaves. Warm through and serve. This sauce is really about four flavours: aniseed (from the tarragon and the vermouth), vanilla, salt and the sweet-sharp taste of balsamic vinegar. I think it works, and I like it.
