Chervil
Chervil tastes of mild aniseed/liquorice and is excellent with fish, eggs (especially scrambled!), vegetables or light meats. Add to mushrooms sautéed in butter and finish with cream.
Sometimes referred to as "gourmet's parsley" chervil is a great low calorie way to add interest to meals.
While chervil is not widely used around the world, it is a staple herb in France. Along with chives, tarragon and parsley, it is used as an aromatic seasoning blend called "Fines Herbes."
Being a spring time herb, Chervil has a natural affinity for other spring time foods.
In Norway and France bowls of minced fresh chervil leaves often accompany meals. People liberally sprinkle this on salads, soups and stews. It should be added at the end of cooking or sprinkled on in its fresh, raw state to avoid losing flavour.
It also combines well with mild cheeses and is a tasty addition to herb butters
Vinaigrette and Béarnaise sauce are naturals for chervil and it's delicate leaves make it an attractive herb to use for garnishes.
Chervil Soup
Ingredients
- 30g Unsalted Butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 large potato, peeled and diced
- 1 medium leek, white and pale green part
- 2 small sticks celery, finely chopped
- 600ml chicken stock
- A few handfuls of chervil
- Salt & Ground Black Pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft then add the potato, leek and celery and sauté for a further five minutes. Add the stock and raise the heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and blend along with the chervil until smooth. Taste & season. Serve garnished with chopped chervil.
