Stumped by Fennel
When I was planting my herb garden, someone suggested that I toss in some fennel. It has done well, so well that I needed to pull up one of the plants as it was crowding my tarragon. Now I need to know what to do with it. I’m afraid it was harvested too early, and the bulbs aren’t very developed. I know I can use the leaves to season chicken and fish, but am wondering if anyone has a favorite fennel recipe?
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Braised fennel is very nice as a side dish, but I most often use it in a seafood chowder. I sautee the diced fennel bulb in butter along with diced onion. When that’s all nice and golden, I thicken it with some flour, and stir in some white wine OR some Pernod, if it’s on hand, to intensify the fennel-licorice taste. I add diced potatoes, some diced carrots, maybe red and/or green pepper, simmer ’til the veg are fork tender. Add whatever seafood appeals (I most often make an oyster chowder, but shrimp, clams, prawns, fish all work well), add whatever combo of stock and milk works for you (some cream if you want luxury, but I’m quite happy with 2%) and cook on low to medium until the milk is hot but not boiling and the seafood is opaque. A loaf of crusty bread and you’re good to go . . . Season to taste, chopping the fennel feathers into each bowl as desired.
Oh that sounds fantastic! I hope my remaining plant actually develops some bulbs….
It’s great cut up and roasted with other vegetables – tossed in a smidge of olive oil, S&P, and garlic. Delicious.
Google fennel and you’ll find tons of great recipes for it.
Your blog is lovely…I’m going to browse your archive. I found you on “What A Splurge’s” blogroll and was intrigued by the title of your blog. I am absolutely one of those “femmes”. I’ll be back.
Fennel tops and orange segments over romaine makes a great salad…drizzle in a bit of oil and vinegar…simple and tasty!
Ask Tina of the Occasional Cook. http://tinatheoccasionalcook.blogspot.com/
This is my go-to soup for dinner parties; it’s subtle and elegant. The recipe calls for two fennel bulbs, but I’ve found you can also use the stems if the bulbs are too small. Garnish with a sprig of the feathery fronds.
Cream of Fennel Soup
Serves: 6
Ingredients
50g butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
450g or 2 heads of fennel, finely sliced
900ml light chicken stock
finely grated rind of 1/2 orange
110ml double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic gently for 10 minutes in a covered saucepan, without colouring.
2. Add the fennel, cover and cook gently for 30 minutes to bring out the full flavour of the fennel. Stir from time to time.
3. Add the chicken stock and orange rind. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4. Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser and pass through a sieve. Stir in the cream and taste for seasoning. Reheat gently. The soup is delicious served either hot or chilled.
Recipe from New Covent Garden Soup Company’s Book of Soups new, old and odd recipes
Not sure if your fennel is big enough but I like this one:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/roasted-fennel-with-parmesan-recipe/index.html
One of my favorite fennel recipes is Cretan Bean Stew. You basically saute sliced fennel (2 large bulbs) in olive oil, add some garlic and chopped fresh tomatoes (4 or 5, with juice) and cook for 5 or 6 minutes. Add a can or two of rinsed cannellini beans, toss gently to heat and combine. Add chopped parsley and fennel leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and add some lemon juice and a little more olive oil. Serve with crusty bread. Yum.
Oh Mr TNMA makes a fabulous fennel risotto. Thinly sliced fennel and shallots fried in butter, stir in the rice, add stock and so on. Add lemon zest, chopped parsley and parmesan to serve. Delicious.
These responses are definitely, “copy & paste” material.
Since I rank waaaay up there as one of the world’s worst cooks, this is what I do with fennel — after I had it exactly like this at a friend’s house as an appetizer.
Slice paper thin, drizzle with your homemade vinaigrette, decorate with those “leaf” things.
It’s fresh and delicious.
Love the jacket. Want the jacket.
Also, just HAD to tell you. I’m crazy about your new picture. You must have been just too cool for school.
xo, Tish
Hmm, without actual bulbs, I’m a bit stumped as well. I sometimes substitute fennel fronds for dill, although some cooks would argue with that suggestion. In a quick search I found a recipe for sweet fennel butter that sounded good (and didn’t require the bulbs):
http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/recipes/article_0943bdd2-d01f-545b-890b-8c2b34766568.html
bon appetit !
Karen
I love reading all of these comments! What great fennel recipes.
i sometimes stuff undersized fennel inside a chicken for roasting… i use the ferny leaf parts in melted butter for basting the skin. i don’t know if you eat pork, but you can also slice fennel and use it as a bed for baking fish.
Thanks everyone for the recipes and suggestions. I want to try them all!
For tonight’s dinner, I’m going to try placing the stalks in between chicken breasts on the grill.
You are in luck, I have a fennel recipe from Paula Wolfert that is for the green rather than the bulbs. It is very spicy, but you can adjust the garlic, pepper flakes and chili to taste.
Also, I recently discovered that thin-sliced fennel sauted with olive oil and garlic, mixed with Progresso fava beans over polenta makes a darned good meal for two.
Fennel must be this years ‘it’ veggie – I’ve got a zillion plants in the garden this year from some seeds I had left over. It really looks as if everything came up. And of course now I too have to find things to do with it.
Here’s one of my favorite ways of preparing fish. Cut up the white bulb part of the fennel and put it into a frying pan along with a can of diced tomatoes. Cook it together for a few minutes and then place the fish on top of the fennel/tomato mix and let it poach there. A little seasoning and Bob’s your uncle. It’s a great and very easy dish.
Fennel is great in a red “manhattan” style chowder as well, particularly good with lots of crab and cod in it! And for the dog days of summer, it is equally good chilled. Yum
I like the frond-y part chopped up and sprinkled on boulli.. can’t spell.. fish stew.
Lay out a sheet of foil, place 1/4″ thin slices of lemon on the foil. Cut up some fennel bulb and fronds – – place on the lemon. Put salmon on top of lemon. Place more fennel bulb and fronds over salmon, then add another layer of lemon slices. Drizzle with olive oil. Make packets out of foil. You can grill packets or cook in the oven.
I thinly slice the fennel and put in shallow salad bowl. Top with mandarin oranges, minced red onion, vinegarette, parmesan, and a little bit of chopped fronds for garnish. Great with chicken!
The tops are actually very yummy in a green smoothie.
The bulbs sauteed with some onions and wine at the end is nice.
I like to cut the fennel bulb on the diagonal, fairly thinly (like 1/4 inch or less) and slowly carmelize in olive oil in a skillet. I usually sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
I love carmelized fennel on sandwiches (I once made a killer salmon fennel sandwich on olive bread), salads, even a creative pizza or tart.