Chervil – How I use it:
Chervil, along with parsley, chives and tarragon is a component of the classic French fines herbes, and it is in combination with other herbs that I tend to use it most. Most frequently I use chervil in in omlettes or in Salsa Verde.
I love Salsa Verde (translated to English- Green Sauce); I serve it with fish, occasionally with chicken but also as a dressing for this potato salad with smoked trout.
Potato Salad with Smoked Trout and a Salsa Verde dressing.
- 1kg salad potatoes (eg pink fir apple, kipler, chat), boiled in their skins
- 4 spring onions chopped
- A handful of leaves, for example lettuce, watercress, rocket
- 1 Smoked Trout
For dressing:
- Juice of one lemon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 teaspoon capers (more if you particularly enjoy capers)*
- 50grms chopped soft herbs (my favourite combination is 2/3
parlsey, 1/3 mix of dill, chervil & basil)
Make dressing by blitzing all the dressing ingredients in a food processor, adding extra oil if necessary. Shred the flesh of trout taking care to ensure that all the
skin and bones are removed. Mix salad leaves and spring onions and arrange onto a
serving plate. Slice potatoes into bite sized pieces whilst they are still warm. Dress immediately. Arrange potatoes on top of salad leaves and sprinkle the smoked trout over the top. Serve warm or cold.
* I always use salted capers as I prefer them to the vinegary ones. I wash off the excess salt and then soak my salted capers in water to disgorge some of their salt prior to use.
Note: The potatoes in this picture are Pink Fir Apple which I highly recommend as a fabulous salad potato. I do have to admit though that I bought these at the Farmers Market at Collingwood Childrens Farm but I do plan to grow them this year.
I must grow some chervil. My tarragon has mostly died over winter too, so might pick up both at the same time. Do you grow them from seed or seedlings?
Have you tried pork with tarragon, capers, mustard and cream? Match made in heaven!
L
Chervil is great – I started one plant which I bought in a pot and it now self seeds in the garden. Very helpful of it -also evidence that it grows easily from seed. Your tarragon will probably come back in the spring – mine dies back to nothing over winter and is just starting to shoot again now. If not you will need to buy plants as the french tarragon (ie the one that tastes nice) cant be propagated from seeds. Love the recipe idea – I think that combination would be nice with chicken too, or fish, or, or, or – yum…..