Eggs in Tarragon Jelly recipe

Taken from Stephanie Alexander's cookbook and changed a little,

This recipe can be adapted to any herb you like the flavour of, but works best with "soft herbs".

Ingredients:
4 boiled eggs (bantam eggs are ideal)
4 moulds that the eggs fit comforably in.
8 leaves gelatin or suitable quantity of powdered gelatin.
2 cups chicken stock
4 good sprigs of tarragon and some extra sprigs.

Method.

1. Infuse the chicken stock with tarragon by soaking the "poor sprigs" in it for at least an hour.
2. Remove the sprigs and dissolve the gelatin in the stock. Add some finely chopped herbs to the stock if you wish, this is good for milder herbs.
3. Put about a good sprig of tarragon in the bottom of each mould and cover with a cm of stock. Leave to set in fridge.
4. When set place a peeled boiled egg in each mould and carefully fill with the stock.
5. A slice of ham can be placed on the surface of the stock at this point.
6. Leave to set.
7. To turn out dip the moulds in hot water to just melt the outer layer of stock and tip over. Hopefully the jellies will just tip out!

You can use anything for the moulds, egg cups, tea-cups, ramikins, just adjust the volume of stock to fill the moulds.

Tarragon plants

To the unfamiliar looking at a picture of a Tarragon plant it can look very like Rosemary but when you actually see the plants they are very different. The leaves on the tarragon are larger and softer, as well as being a lighter coloured green. The difference is obvious if you crush a leaf, Tarragon has a very distinct flavour.

There are two varieties, Russian Tarragon and French Tarragon. Both will grow well but Russian Tarragon is much hardier, surviving mild frosts. Russian Tarragon will even self seed, but both varieties tend to be sterile. Cultivation of Russian tarragon from seed is easy but French tarragon tends to do better from division or cuttings. French tarragon needs protection from frost and even though it is perennial in colder climates it may need to be treated carefully to survive.

For culinary purposes the French tarragon has a better flavour, making it more popular.

Tarragon is a versatile herb, if you like the flavour. Tarragon tends to be a "love it or hate it" herb because of its strong flavour. Use it sparingly in chicken, fish and egg dishes.( Just rubbing the leaves over a chicken before roasting is enough to impart its flavour.) It makes good herb butter spreading its flavour very easily. Adding a few leaves to mayonnaise, salad dressing, hollandaise or white sauces makes a quick change to old dishes.

Medicinally tarragpon is a digestive tonic, but finds greater use as quick first aid in the garden due to its antibacterial properties. It can be used to numb the mouth in toothaches, but cloves are usually better. One little publicised use is that chewing a leaf of tarragon before taking medicine will numb the taste buds, disguising bad tasting medicine. Of course this depends on you not minding the strong taste of the tarragon.

Tarragon loses a lot of its flavour if dried, which is unusual in herbs, and it is best preserved by freezing or in vinegar.