Chervil

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) has light green, lacy leaves, somewhat similar to appearance to curly parsley. It has a delicate, aniseedy flavour, which is so subtle that it needs to be added lavishly to dishes to make any real impact. It should be added at the end of cooking for maximum flavour.

Chervil may be added fresh to salads, and goes particularly well with egg or cheese dishes. It makes a very good light soup, or may be made into a herb butter for steak or sole. When shredded finely and combined with parsley and chives it becomes part of the flavouring mix known as fines herbes, or alternatively, it may be chopped up with sorrel as a traditional garnish for chicken soup.

Chervil should be used fresh where possible, as it loses most of its flavour when it is dried.