Don’t forget the thrill of the dill

To my mind, dill is the forgotten herb.

I mean that literally. Whenever we plant it in the garden, I forget all about it until it bolts and has to be cut down.

I don’t know why this is. I like dill. That’s why we plant it. I like its unique, sharp, unmistakable taste. I like the way it goes with salmon. I like what it does to lemon, and what lemon does to it. I like the way Eastern Europeans sprinkle it over basically all their soups.

And yet, I can go weeks without once thinking of dill. Months, maybe.

So to remind myself of what it is about dill that makes it so alluring, I decided to use it in an assortment of dishes. One, obviously, is salmon; the fish and the herb were absolutely meant for each other. Another is one of those Eastern European soups, though in this one dill actually comprises the main flavor. A third is a chicken dish, because I don’t usually think about dill going with chicken (when I think about dill at all which, as we have seen, is rare).

And the fourth is potatoes. And cream. And dill.

We’ve probably all had potato salad with dill; as the potato luxuriates in the creamy mayonnaise, the dill asserts itself as a fragrant culinary counterpoint. It’s good stuff, but it can’t compare to creamy dill potatoes.

Creamy dill potatoes (I took the liberty of changing the name from “comforting dill potato recipe”) transcend the ordinary pleasures of a dill-flavored potato salad because of one basic, indisputable fact: mayonnaise is good, but cream is better. The dill that is added only makes the flavors pop even more. And when this sauce coats the potatoes, it is superb.

Next up was the salmon, perhaps the most natural pairing that exists for dill. In general, dill cuts through the silken richness of salmon while the two flavors play merrily off each other. But the version I made adds a couple of other ingredients that effortlessly complement the combination. Foremost of these is sour cream. The extravagance of the sour cream is then tempered with a few mildly astringent ingredients: shallot or onion, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and the dill.

For my chicken dish, I chose a recipe for lemon and dill chicken from EatingWell magazine. The dish employs what I like to think of as a culinary syllogism. Chicken goes well with lemon. Lemon goes well with dill. Therefore, chicken goes well with lemon and dill.

Finally, I made a zupa koperkowa, a dill soup from Poland. This is a flavorful but thin soup made richer by sour cream and embellished with batter dumplings.

Lemon and dill chicken

4boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 to 11/2 pounds total)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil

1/2cup finely chopped onion

2cloves garlic, crushed

1cup chicken broth

2teaspoons all-purpose flour

3tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided

2tablespoons lemon juice

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until well-browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Do not clean skillet.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together broth, flour, 2 tablespoons of the dill and lemon juice and add to pan. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan; reduce heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Remove the garlic cloves. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped dill.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 172 calories; 6 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 63 mg cholesterol; 24 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; no fiber; 288 mg sodium; 22 mg calcium.

Adapted from a recipe from EatingWell

Creamy dill potatoes

2pounds new baby potatoes or small red potatoes, the largest ones cut in half

21/4teaspoons salt, divided

3tablespoons butter

1medium sweet onion, chopped

1/2cup whipping cream

1/8teaspoon black pepper

1/2cup (or 3/4-ounce package) dill fronds, chopped

Put potatoes in a large saucepan and just cover with water. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt, and stir. Over high heat, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, stir, and partially cover the pot. Simmer potatoes until they are fork-tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Bring the cream to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and add the dill. Drain the potatoes and add them to the skillet, turning them over in the cream sauce until covered.

Makes 5 servings.

Per serving: 280 calories; 16 g fat; 10 g saturated fat; 51 mg cholesterol; 4 g protein; 32 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 4 g fiber; 277 mg sodium; 43 mg calcium.

Adapted from cookthestory.com

Dill soup with dumplings (zupa koperkowa)

2tablespoons butter, divided

3/4cup finely chopped dill, divided

6cups of stock: chicken, veal, beef or vegetable

61/2tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/2cup cold water

1large egg

1/8teaspoon salt

1egg yolk

1/2cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Note: Along with the dumplings, this soup can also be served with boiled potatoes or hard-boiled eggs cut into wedges

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet, add 1/4 cup dill and sauté gently over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. In a large pot, heat stock to boiling and add the dill and butter mixture. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of the flour in the cold water and add to the stock. Bring the stock back to a simmer.

To make the dumplings, combine the egg, the remaining 31/2 tablespoons of flour and the salt, and beat with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes until smooth. Drizzle batter slowly into simmering stock from a spoon or fork and cook for 1 minute. Keep the soup at a simmer to avoid disintegrating the dumplings.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, place in a small bowl and beat in the egg yolk. Gradually add 1 cup of the boiling stock and stir well. Stir in the sour cream until the mixture is smooth. Return this mixture to the soup pot and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, but do not boil.

Turn off the heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup dill, stir, cover and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 305 calories; 17 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 131 mg cholesterol; 13 g protein; 24 g carbohydrate; 7 g sugar; no fiber; 629 mg sodium; 58 mg calcium.

Recipe by Laura and Peter Zelanski of polishclassiccooking.com

Baked salmon with mustard-dill sauce

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Juice of 1/2 lemon

11/2 pounds center-cut salmon fillet with skin

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk sour cream, dill, shallot or onion, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl to blend. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place salmon, skin-side down, on prepared sheet. Sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper; spread with 1/3 cup sauce. Bake salmon until just opaque in center, about 20 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce (or use sauce as a dip for potato chips or crudites).

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Per serving (based on 6): 220 calories; 11 g fat; 5 g saturated fat; 70 mg cholesterol; 25 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; no fiber; 233 mg sodium; 47 mg calcium.

Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit