Dill has a wonderful aroma when it’s gently rubbed between the fingers. Fresh dill (or dill weed as it’s sometimes called) has a soft sweet smell of fresh air, tinged with a hint of anise and celery. The seeds have a different, stronger flavor, almost a sweet bitter taste with an overtone of caraway. The plant is very attractive and aromatic. The wispy, delicate fern-like leaves blow gently in the wind, creating beautiful movement – just perfect for a decorative backdrop in an herb garden.
If you can, always buy fresh dill in small quantities, as the plant, once picked, wilts rapidly. Store it in the fridge with damp kitchen paper wrapped around the stalks for a maximum of 2-3 days. Freeze it finely chopped in airtight containers or in ice cubes. I add a drop of water to bind the dill together – great for adding directly to soups or casseroles. Like all herbs, dill seeds deteriorate rapidly. After about 6 months, the flavour starts to diminish. Use fresh fronds as a delightful decoration on a plate.
Dill is a native of Southern Russia, West Africa and the Mediterranean. The plant has travelled far and wide, migrating to numerous worldwide cuisines. Where would the Scandinavian countries be without dill I wonder? Their soups, many fish dishes, potato recipes and various vinegars all contain dill. Pickled cucumbers would be tasteless without it! Dill finds its way into kofta, Greek yoghurt and even into Indian cuisine. Use dill with care, especially the seeds, which can ruin a recipe if added too freely.
Dill's name derives from the ancient Norse meaning ‘lull’, as it helps to lull (settle down) a bloated stomach after a meal. In other words, it may get rid of gas! At the same time, it cleanses the mouth.
If you grow your own dill, remember some varieties can easily reach a metre high and are susceptible to strong winds. The roots also like a lot of room. The deeper the roots go, the more robust the plant is against the wind. Along the back of a border is ideal, perhaps against a wall with good sunshine, as dill loves the sun.
A little bone meal and good compost dug into the soil a few weeks before planting will really give dill seeds a good start – they should start to sprout within a few weeks. Then thin out and plant at least 1/3 m apart. Last year, I used a big tub and kept the dill on my terrace. It looked great under planted with red poppies.
Dill Salmon Parcels
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 lemons
- 4 salmon steaks or fillets
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 3 Tbsp. fresh dill
- 3 Tbsp. fresh thyme
- Seasoning to taste
Method:
- Cut 4 sheets of foil to make ‘packets.’
- Place a salmon steak on each piece of foil.
- Rub the herbs evenly over each piece and season to taste.
- Top each with 1 Tbsp. butter.
- Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the fish.
- Close up the packets and cook on the BBQ over a fairly high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side. Timing depends upon thickness of the fish.
- Quarter remaining lemon and serve with the fish when ready.
Tips:
Be sure the packets are well sealed or the juices will escape when turning over.
The fish can be marinated in advance. If using dried herbs, roughly 1 Tbsp. of each will do.
Deborah Ratcliffe - An experienced International writer with a passion for the reality of life and its magic moments!
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