After the heavy-hitting herbs of the past two weeks - mint and tarragon - for my final week of herbaphilia I'm taking a walk on the mild side with delicate, subtle, elegant chervil. This has to be one of the prettiest plants in the herb bed; so pretty, in fact, that it would merit a place in the flowerbed, too. It looks like a lacy, very dainty version of parsley, which is no surprise seeing as they're close cousins, both in the umbelliferae family, along with frondy carrots and fennel. As you might expect from its refined appearance, chervil tastes mild and subtle, a little like parsley, but with a sophisticated yet gentle, aniseedy warmth.
Chervil's name is derived from the Greek chaerophyllon, meaning the herb of rejoicing or, less reverentially, the happy herb. It's a notion that spread beyond the ancient world, too: in European folklore, the eating of chervil was encouraged because it was said not only to aid digestion, but to inspire cheerfulness and sharp wits. It certainly brings a smile to my face whenever I chop, nibble or sprinkle it.
Chervil's a great herb for summer, but it's often overlooked, no doubt in part because it can be hard to track down. No matter: it's one of the easiest herbs to grow. An enthusiastic annual, it grows quickly and is ready for harvesting after only six to eight weeks. It needs a cool, moist spot with dappled shade; when you've found that, simply scatter the seeds where you'd like them to grow because it doesn't transplant well due to its long taproot (sow more than you need and use the thinnings as a pretty, tasty addition to salads).
Harvest it frequently, cutting the outer leaves first to ensure you get a vigorous, bushy plant. It bolts with unseemly haste in hot weather, so resow every few weeks to ensure a steady supply. And if you need any more convincing, I'm told that chervil repels slugs and that planting it near your radishes allegedly makes them hotter. It grows well in a pot, too, and can thrive indoors long into the winter provided it's out of strong, direct sunlight.
Like tarragon, chervil is most often swirled, whisked and folded into classic French dishes, but it's much too good to leave to the other side of the Channel. It's often used with tarragon, as in last week's béarnaise sauce or - along with chives, parsley and tarragon - as one of the French fab four of flavour in a fines herbes mixture used to season omelettes or creamy sauces for fish or chicken, but it's quite capable of holding its own solo. Its flavour is spoiled by heat, so add it at the end of cooking to ensure you enjoy its distinctive and subtle flavour. Here's a whole bunch of ideas.
10 things to do with chervil
Add some chervil to a creamy courgette soup, or sprinkle over courgettes sautéed in olive oil with a bit of lemon zest and a squeeze of juice.
Pound some chervil into butter with sea salt, black pepper and a little lemon juice to make a seasoned butter to go with steak or lobster.
In autumn, add it to mushrooms sautéed in butter and finished with cream.
In winter, add it to a celeriac and potato purée.
Stir some into mayonnaise to go with goujons of fish or chicken.
Add it to scrambled eggs.
Make a dip for radishes by stirring together some soft goat's cheese and yogurt until smooth, and stirring in some chervil, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle it over roasted fennel.
Mixed with seasoned breadcrumbs and a little very finely diced shallot, chervil makes a good topping for grilled oysters.
For an easy potato salad, dress boiled potatoes while they're still warm with a vinaigrette laced with plenty of chervil.
Peas with chervil
A delicious, easy side dish to go with roast chicken, baked ham or grilled fish. Serves four to six.
400g peas (or peas and broad beans)
80ml double cream or crème fraîche
1 good handful chervil, chopped fine
1 knob butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a big pan of water to a boil. Simmer the peas until just done, strain and keep warm while you make the sauce. Simmer the cream for a minute to reduce it slightly, then pour over the peas with the butter, pepper and chervil, give it a good stir and serve immediately.
Chervil soup
A pretty soup, flecked with chervil, that tastes as good chilled as it does hot. Serves four to six.
30g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large potato, about 220g, peeled and finely diced
1 medium leek, white and pale green part only, finely chopped
2 small sticks celery, finely chopped
600ml chicken stock
A few handfuls chervil (about 30-40g), bigger bits of stalk removed; save a few sprigs to garnish
120ml double cream or crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, potato, leek and celery, and sauté for five minutes. Add the stock, raise the heat slightly and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Leave to cool slightly, then ladle into a blender or food processor, along with the chervil. Blitz until smooth and velvety. Return to the pan, add the double cream or crème fraîche and reheat thoroughly but gently, without boiling. Taste, then season well. Serve at once, with a little chopped chervil sprinkled on top, or chill for a few hours if you want to enjoy it as a cold soup.
Goat's cheese and chervil wafers
These make a great little nibble to go with drinks. Once you've tried them with chervil, you may want to experiment with other herbs, too - finely chopped rosemary and thyme work well. Makes about a dozen.
100g hard goat's cheese, grated
1 tbsp plain flour
A few grinds of black pepper
About 3 tbsp chervil, chopped
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ gas mark 6. Line a baking sheet with nonstick silicone sheets or baking parchment. Stir together the cheese, flour and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture into 10-12 neat little rounds (you can use a 4-5cm cutter as a guide). Sprinkle on the chervil and bake for five to seven minutes, until bubbling and golden. Remove the sheet from the oven, leave the wafers to cool slightly, then carefully lift them off with a wide spatula. Serve with drinks.
