Spices, chervil, dried

Dried chervil is a delicate, feathery herb often lumped in with parsley but with a softer, slightly anise-like flavor. French cooks use it as one of the four fines herbes, alongside parsley, chives, and tarragon, stirring it into omelets, cream sauces, soups, and vinaigrettes. Because heat and cooking time dull its flavor quickly, chervil is usually added at the very end of cooking or sprinkled over a finished plate rather than simmered in from the start. It also turns up in classic French preparations like bearnaise sauce and chervil soup, where its mild, slightly sweet character adds depth without overpowering butter or cream.

Store dried chervil in a sealed jar out of direct light, and use it within a year or so since dried leafy herbs lose their aroma over time, especially compared to sturdier dried herbs like oregano or thyme. A teaspoon weighs only about 1 gram, so the numbers per 100 grams, 23.2 grams of protein and 11.3 grams of fiber, describe the dried leaf in bulk rather than a realistic serving, but they do show why even a light sprinkle over eggs or fish contributes a trace of iron, which the herb is rich in at 178% DV per 100 grams, along with calcium at 104% DV and potassium at 101% DV. Use it the way you would parsley, as a finishing touch rather than a cooked-in base flavor, and rub a pinch between your fingers before adding it to help release its aroma.