chervil
Noun: 1. An aromatic herb (Anthriscus cerefolium): A plant native to Europe and Asia, cultivated for its delicate, parsley-like leaves which are used as a culinary herb. 2. The fresh leaves of this plant used as a seasoning: The finely divided, often curly, fern-like leaves are used to flavor dishes, typically added fresh at the end of cooking.
Chervil is primarily used as a fresh herb. It is a key component of the French fines herbes blend. Due to its delicate flavor, it is usually added to dishes just before serving, as heat diminishes its taste. - It is used to garnish and flavor soups, salads, sauces (particularly béarnaise), chicken, veal, fish, and egg dishes like omelets. - It pairs well with other mild herbs like tarragon, parsley, and chives.
- As a garnish/ingredient:
- The chef sprinkled fresh chervil over the creamy spinach soup.
- For the salad dressing, she finely chopped chervil and mixed it with olive oil and lemon juice.
- A classic fines herbes omelet is made with chervil, parsley, tarragon, and chives.
- Chervil root: While less common, the root of a related plant (), sometimes called "turnip-rooted chervil," can be cooked and eaten as a vegetable, similar to a parsnip or carrot.
- Garden chervil: Another name for common chervil ().
- Root chervil / Turnip-rooted chervil: Refers to , cultivated for its edible root.
- Cow parsley / Wild chervil: Refers to , a related wild plant that is not typically used in cooking.
- French parsley (a common descriptive name highlighting its similarity to parsley and its prominence in French cuisine).
- Gourmet's parsley.
There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using the word "chervil." Its usage is almost exclusively culinary.
- fresh ferny parsley-like leaves used as a garnish with chicken and veal and omelets and green salads and spinach
- aromatic annual Old World herb cultivated for its finely divided and often curly leaves for use especially in soups and salads