Dill
Dill is a feathery, slightly tangy, anise-like herb especially prized with fish, potatoes, and pickles across Central European, Greek, and American cooking. This page covers buying, storing, and its classic uses.
How to buy
Look for fine, feathery, bright green fronds that aren't yellowing, wilted, or slimy, with a fresh, bright smell. Dill seed, used whole for pickling, comes from the same plant but is a completely different form from the fresh fronds.
How to store
Wrap loosely in a damp paper towel and refrigerate in a bag, or stand the stems in a small jar of water loosely covered; use within about a week, since dill wilts faster than hardier herbs like rosemary or thyme.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Bright, slightly tangy, and grassy with a mild anise undertone; much more delicate than dried dill, which turns musty and loses its brightness quickly.
- Texture
- Fine, feathery, soft fronds that are easy to snip but wilt quickly once cut.
- Aroma
- A fresh, slightly sweet, anise-like smell.
How to prepare
- Finely chopped garnish — Snipped fine and scattered over finished dishes, especially fish and potatoes.
- Folded into sauces — Stirred into creamy sauces and dressings at the end of cooking to keep its brightness.
- Pickling companion — Used fresh or as seed alongside vinegar brine for classic dill pickles.
- Stirred into dairy — Mixed into sour cream or yogurt-based sauces right before serving.
Classic dishes
American
- Dill pickles — Cucumbers brined with vinegar, garlic, and plenty of fresh dill or dill seed.
- Dill potato salad — A creamy potato salad brightened with chopped fresh dill.
- Creamy dill sauce for salmon — A sour cream or yogurt-based sauce flecked with dill, served alongside poached or baked salmon.
- Dill deviled eggs — Classic deviled eggs given a tangy lift with chopped fresh dill.
- Smoked salmon with dill cream cheese — A bagel topping of cream cheese blended with chopped fresh dill, served with smoked salmon.
Greek
- Tzatziki — A cooling cucumber and yogurt dip often made with dill in place of or alongside mint.
- Spanakopita — A spinach and feta pastry whose filling is traditionally brightened with fresh dill.
- Avgolemono soup — A lemony egg-thickened chicken soup sometimes finished with a touch of fresh dill.
Middle Eastern
- Sabzi polo ba mahi — A Persian herbed rice dish where dill is one of the key fresh herbs, traditionally served with fish.
- Mast-o khiar — A Persian cucumber and yogurt dip flecked with dill and dried mint.
German
- Gurkensalat — A German cucumber salad dressed with vinegar, sour cream, and fresh dill.
- Dillkartoffeln — New potatoes tossed with butter and a generous amount of fresh dill.
- Pickled cucumbers — Cucumbers cured in a vinegar brine with dill and mustard seed.
British & Irish
- New potatoes with butter and dill — Simple boiled new potatoes tossed in butter and fresh dill.
- Poached salmon with dill sauce — Poached salmon served cold or warm with a creamy dill sauce.
Substitutions
- Parsley — Parsley lacks dill's anise note but works as a milder, grassier stand-in in potato salads and dressings.