Dill

Key facts Dill is widely grown throughout the Mediterranean and has been used since ancient times. The Romans added ground dill seeds to bread which they gave to gladiators before battle, as a stimulant. Dill gives a fantastic aroma to fish and seafood dishes, as well as salad dressings and pickles.

This herb is best known for its use in Scandinavian cooking – gravadlax for example – or in commercially pickled cucumbers, where the leafy heads and the seeds are used.

The seeds have to be planted annually, but grow very easily; the feathery leaves have a sharp, aromatic flavour. Chopped, they are good in sauces for fish, or added to butter to melt over.

Dill goes particularly well with soured cream dressings or sauces and has a great affinity with cucumber.

Related Recipes

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 Serves 2

Hot Smoked Salmon with Cornichon, Dill and Caper Sauce

This recipe sums up why we should support the small supplier: a wonderful baked salmon dish using fish from a smokery just down the road from Delia's house in Suffolk.

 

 

 Serves 8 as a first course

Terrine with Three Cheeses

A lovely light terrine that's just perfect with a crisp salad and good bread. What's more, you can easily increase the quantities and make this for a buffet or party.

 

 

 Serves 4-6

Fish Cakes with Capers

Classic fishcakes are wonderfully frugal food, as they allow you to 'stretch' 1lb of fish to serve 4-6 people. And who's complaining with recipes as good as this, pepped up with the addition of capers, parsley and cayenne?

 

 

 Serves 2-3

Cucumber with Soured Cream and Dill

Dill goes well with all cucumber or soured cream recipes. This combines both, and is a marvellous vegetable accompaniment to fish. It is also good made with some small, young courgettes.

 

 

 Makes two 17½ fl oz (500 ml) preserving jars.

Sour Dill Pickles

Supermarket dill-pickled cucumbers are always a bit on the sweet side for me, so this is my attempt at capturing that lovely sour New York deli-type pickle.