Chervil

When it comes to food, there are few ingredients as essential and cute as chervil. This small member of the parsley family is used in almost every gourmet meal, adding a hint of sweetness and anise-like flavor. In this blog post, we’ll explore how chervil goes from seed to your dinner plate.

A Brief History of Chervil

The word chervil derives from the Latin ‘veneris herba,’ meaning “the herb of Venus,” and it’s been prized since ancient times for its delicate flavor and ornamental presence. For example, ancient Romans used it in salads, while health-minded Greeks enjoyed it just like parsley. Now, in both modern and traditional French cooking, chervil adds a mild and refreshing flavor to countless dishes.

From Seed to Plant

Chervil seeds look quite a bit like small grains of sand, but they can be very tough to get started, so they tend to rely on the special skills of plant professionals. If you’re looking to start a chervil plant, you’ll want to give it a cool start, either outdoors or indoors in early spring.

The best way to start them is to directly sow the seeds into soil that’s between 60-70°F. If it stays too hot, the seeds won’t sprout, but if it’s too cool the plants won’t grow. Soil should be well drained and watered lightly everyday.

In about two weeks, you should see the chervil sprouting, though for maximum flavor and foliage, plan to make sure the plants receive about 5 – 6 hours of sunlight each day. To ensure full growth, use an all-purpose fertilizer 30 days after sprouting.

Harvest Time

You can start harvesting your chervil after three to four weeks of growth, and you should begin picking leaves when they’re 1-2 inches long. For maximum flavor, snip individual leaves, as they will provide more intense flavor than using an entire stalk. If the plant grows too large, you can always prune it back to encourage renewed growth.

At harvest time, your chervil will have a mild and subtle flavor similar to anise with woody undertones. Chervil leaves are extremely delicate, so it’s important to take extra care during harvesting and handling.

Chervil’s Journey to Your Plate

From the garden, chervil makes its way to your kitchen or restaurant in a few different ways. Often it’s grown by local farms, and is found in farmers’ markets near you. You can also buy chevil online or find it fresh in specialty grocery stores.

Once you have your chervil, you can store it for up to three days in the refrigerator. To preserve its flavor and texture, use that bagged salad greens are stored in, or even wrap the chervil in a damp paper towel. The chilled leaves of the chervil should remain fresh and edible for three days.

Cooking With Chervil

Once it’s in the kitchen, cooks enjoy incorporating chervil into dishes like soups, salads, potatoes, and breads. Fresh chervil leaves can also be chopped and used as a garnish on any number of dishes, adding a subtle, refreshing herbs-like bite.

For even more intense flavor, you can lightly wilt chervil in boiling salted water before adding to a dish. If you’re looking to preserve its delicate taste, adding chervil at the end of the cooking process is your best bet.

A Little Note of Caution

Fortunately, it’s highly unlikely to overdose on chervil. But a word of caution: if you’re taking any kind of blood clotting medications, steer clear of chervil as it can act as a blood thinner, amplifying the effects of whatever medication you’re taking.

Conclusion

Few herbs can boast the versatility, delicate flavor and delicate garnish potential of chervil. Its ability to please both chefs and casual eaters, not to mention its unique flavor profile, helps make it one of the hottest culinary ingredients around, from garden to dinner table.