More Cooking with Chervil©

More Cooking with Chervil©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

We love cooking with our dried chervil and we love sharing our recipes.  Here are two of our long time favorite recipes.  The first one is very simple and the second one is deliciously elegant.

Roasted Pepper Frittata

Chervil has long been a favorite in egg dishes, but usually in the dried form. This recipe takes a nice helping of the fresh greens and adds it to a mix of colorful bell peppers. This recipe has long been a favorite of mine.

Makes 6 servings

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. dried chervil,

Salt and pepper to taste

8 large eggs

3 tablespoons low-fat milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh chervil sprigs for garnish

Preheat broiler.

Cut all the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds and ribs. Place cut sides down on a baking sheet. Broil until the skins blacken and blister. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, drape the peppers loosely with aluminum foil and let cool for 10 minutes. Using your fingers or a small knife, remove the pepper skins. Cut the peppers lengthwise into strips 1/4-inch wide.

In a bowl, combine the bell pepper strips, garlic, vinegar, chervil and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate un-refrigerated 30 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Parmesan until frothy. Add the pepper mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a 10-inch ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and, when it starts to set, lift the edges of the frittata with a spatula so that some of the egg mixture runs underneath.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the bottom is set but the top still is runny, 8 to 10 minutes. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the eggs are set on top and golden brown on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove the frittata from the oven and loosen with a spatula. Invert the frittata onto a serving plate. Garnish with fresh chervil sprigs.

We adapted this recipe from Emeril LaGasse around 16 years ago.

Lobster Ravioli in a Fennel and Chervil-Infused Nage

Total Time: 1 hr 25 min    Prep:15 min    Cook:1 hr 10 min

Yield: 18 ravioli, serving 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients

2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (we like to use our Grains of Paradise) 

¼ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp. dried parsley 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
2 live (1 1/2 to 2 pound) lobsters
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh fennel bulb, fronds and upper stems reserved
1 tablespoons dried chervil
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup minced dried onions 

½  teaspoon minced dried garlic 

36 wonton or egg roll wrappers
 
Directions

In a large pot place 1 gallon of water and the celery, onion, carrot, lemon and orange juices, peppercorns, thyme, parsley, garlic, bay leaves, white wine and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, then add the lobsters and poach for 9 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the water with tongs and drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the lobster meat and claw meat from the shells, finely chop and set aside, reserving the shells.

Into a clean pot strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Add the lobster shells and bring to a boil over high heat and reduce by half. Add the fronds and upper stems from the fennel bulb and reduce again by half (should be between 2 and 3 cups). Strain the liquid again into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the chervil, cream, 2 tablespoons butter and 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest to the pan and season to taste. Remove sauce from the heat and cover.

In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and sauté the fennel, shallots and garlic until soft. Add the chopped lobster meat and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and remaining lemon zest and butter to the pan and stir to incorporate, next pour onto a plate to cool.

On a flat surface spread out 18 won ton wrappers and spoon 1 tablespoon of lobster filling into the center of each. Brush a little water on the outer rim of the filled wrapper and top a wrapper. Press gently around the filling and the edges of the wrappers to seal.

(Ravioli may be refrigerated at this point, covered tightly, until ready to use, up to 2 hours.)

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, drop in the ravioli in batches and cook for 30 seconds. Drain thoroughly and place 3 ravioli in the center of each serving plate, and coat with the sauce.
 
May the Creative Force be with you

Arlene Wright-Correll 

Home Farm Herbery