Chervil
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Chervil
is a tasteful – and tasty – garnish for salads, omelets, and grilled or
poached meat and poultry. It is also recognized as “gourmet parsley.”
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While subtle in flavor, it makes a noticeable addition to pestos, salads, pastas, and eggs. Chervil is also a wonderful additive to cold sauces and soups.
Varieties
• “Common” chervil is Anthriscus certifolium. Curly chervil is A. crispum. Wild chervil is A. sylvestris.
• Chervil is also referred to as cicely, sweet cicely, French parsley, and myrrh.
• Spanish chervil is related with stronger flavoring.
Buying Tips
• Bright and light green leaves should be fresh with no signs of wilting or yellowing.
• Dried chervil will lose much of the fresh qualities, but is more aromatic than dried parsley.
• Chervil is easy to grow, but prefers a cool, shady spot and moist conditions.
Storage Tips
• Wrap in a damp paper towel, place in a sealed plastic bag, and refrigerate. Use fresh chervil within a week as it will wilt quickly.
• Chop and freeze for year-round use.
• Refrigerate in white wine vinegar to preserve leaf color and flavor.
Usage Tips
• Include chervil when making any light or cheese-based sauce.
• To preserve much of the flavor, add just before serving rather than during cooking.
Substitution Tips
• Parsley, fennel, dill, tarragon
Try one of our favorite chervil recipes:
Salmon Tartlets
Spring Pasta
Stuffed Mussels
Suggested Pairings
Beef, butter, cheese, cottage cheese, ham, legumes, mushrooms, poultry, seafood, tofu, vegetables, vinegar
