Chervil has light green, fine fern like leaves with the taste of somewhere between light aniseed & parsley.
It is considered to be one of the unsung heroes of many a dish because it enhances the flavour of other herbs in a meal. It is used extensively in France where it is one of the 4 ingredients used in ‘fine herbes’ – the others being tarragon, parsley & chives.
Chervil makes a great fresh summer herb but as a hardy biennial it can also be used through winter and so is a good substitute for parsley. It goes well with chicken, fish, egg, salad and soup dishes as well as for micro-leaves.
It can be prone to bolting so keep well watered and don’t transplant too much but one advantage is the white flowers that grow do look pretty and can be tossed into a salad although the leaves will be slightly bitter.
Chervil grows to a height of 60cm with a spread of 30cm. A great 'cut & come again' variety – snip a few leaves at a time and they will regrow.
