Bearnaise sauce

Okeejohn

I am visiting my brother in the upper peninusla Michigan. I am going to make beef tenderloin with béarnaise sauce but I do not have tarragon and no where to get it. However, I have read you can substitute tarragon with cinnamon and parsley by simmering. My recipe calls for 1 1/2 ounces of tarragon. How do I simmer the cinnamon and parsley...how much tarragon and parsley do I use and how much water and how long does it simmer for??
Okeejohn

Little Chef

Why insist on bearnaise? Will a simple hollandaise not do? I'm not too sure of the idea of cinnamon on my steak, but I will leave that up to you. A perfect sauce addition for tarragon to mimic bearnaise imo would be some fennel, some Pernot, or even a splash of anisette. Not too sure on the cinnamon route though.

Adult ADHD

Go to the spice isle. Tarragon is good dried. Fresh is not a must.

Eggsakley

If push comes to shove, Knorr-Swiss makes a packaged sauce that can be reconstituted with very little effort and is acceptable. In your situation, this might be a viable option. Best of luck. The U.P. can be very nice this time of year. I used to be stationed at Sault St. Marie. Not so nice in the winter though.

The Naked Whiz

I found this:

* Simmering parsley and cinnamon powder together evokes an aroma extremely similar to that of tarragon. Try using it in equal amounts and use it for salad dressings, soups or the famous French sauce béarnaise.

* Use a dash of fennel seed instead of tarragon and increase the amount if you want a stronger and sweeter effect.

* In a recipe that asks for 1 teaspoon of tarragon, first use ½ the amount of aniseed and then add more if you want a more accentuated flavor.

* Try the same trick with chervil. It works rather well as tarragon substitute.

* You can also use equal amounts of tagetes or Mexican mint marigold, dubbed Mexican tarragon, which is very similar to German tarragon, if only a tad bit sweeter. It is widely available in southern parts of the US, where the hot, humid climate limits the growth of the original tarragon.

* Marjoram, too can be used given its natural licorice taste.