# Fennel cooking adventure



## vilasman1 (Oct 11, 2004)

i'm bored and hungery so of course i am doing our favorite thing, cooking. 

I got a head of fennel cause it was sitting there all well and glisteny looking , while i was waitng on the butcher dude to chop me up some lamb chops...
I came home and asked my wife what to do with it so she said slice it, brush it with olive oil and roast it in the oven. So the first batch is in the oven sliced with olive oil at 350 , what have i done wrong , so i can get it right for the first batch.
Mind you i have never had fennel before in life


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## PolishedTopaz (Oct 11, 2004)

Looks good to me Vilas, some salt and pepper and your all set!


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## GB (Oct 11, 2004)

It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong at all. Sounds delicious. I like to top mine with some good Parmesan Regiano, but it is great without that too. Fennel is such a great vegetable. I love it raw and I also love it cooked. The longer you cook it, the milder it gets so if you are not crazy about black licorice then you will like it cooked a lot better than raw.

Here are a few of my fennel recipes:

Baked Fennel with Parmesan 

2 lbs. Fennel, washed and cut in half
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 400. Cook fennel in large pan of boiling water until tender, but not mushy. Drain. 

Cut fennel lengthwise into 4 or 6 pieces. Place them in a buttered baking dish.

Dot with butter and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until cheese is golden brown, about 20 min. Serve right away. 

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Fennel and Orange Salad 

2 large fennel bulbs, about 1 ½ lbs.
2 sweet oranges
2 scallions

For the dressing
4 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper


Wash fennel and remove any brown or stringy outer leaves. Slice the bulbs and stems into thin pieces. Place in shallow serving bowl.

Peel oranges with a sharp knife, cutting away the pith. Slice thinly. Cut each slice into thirds. Arrange over fennel, adding any juice from the oranges.

For the dressing, mix oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salad. Mix well.

Slice scallions thinly. Sprinkle over salad. Sprinkle with a little salt. 

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Fennel, Apple, Celery Salad with Cilantro and Lemon


1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper 
2 large apples, julienned 
1 medium head fennel, cored and thinly sliced 
3 large ribs celery, sliced (about 1 cup) 
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped or more to taste 

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the apples, fennel, celery and cilantro. Toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings.

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Green Salad, Fennel Apple, Pecans

Balsamic vinaigrette: 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
Freshly ground black pepper 
5 tablespoons olive oil 
6 cups tornup green leaf lettuce, washed and spun dry 
1 cup tornup radicchio, washed and spun dry 
1/2 large Granny Smith apple, cut into 12 thin slices 
2/3 cup thinly sliced fennel 
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans 

Combine the vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium size bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Mix the lettuce and radicchio in a salad bowl. Just before serving pour on the dressing and toss. 
Divide the salad among 4 salad plates. Place 3 apples slices on one side of each salad, and one quarter of the fennel on the other side. Sprinkle the pecans all over the salads. 
Serve immediately.


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## Konditor (Oct 11, 2004)

The different tastes & textures in this oven-roasted vegetable ragoût are wonderful.  Superb as an accompaniment to roasts & thick chops:

2 large parsnips
1 large turnip	
1 large rutabaga
1 large, or 2 medium fennel bulbs
1 celeriac (celery root)
2 or 3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt + a few grinding of fresh black pepper

Heat oven to 450°F.  

Trim & peel parsnips; cut lengthwise into ¼-in. slices.
Peel turnip & rutabaga; cut them into quarters, then into ¼-in. slices. 

Trim away top(s) of fennel; remove any tough outer leaves; cut in half lengthwise, then into ¼-in. slices.  Follow suit with the celeriac.

In a bowl, toss vegetables with olive oil.  Season with salt & pepper.

Spread vegetables in single layer on baking sheet.  Roast for 8-10 minutes; turn them and cook until slightly crisped & tender, about 6-8 minutes longer.


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## Konditor (Oct 11, 2004)

[draft]


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## Konditor (Oct 11, 2004)

The different tastes & textures in this oven-roasted vegetable ragoût are wonderful.  Superb as an accompaniment to roasts & thick chops:

2 large parsnips
1 large turnip	
1 large rutabaga
1 large, or 2 medium fennel bulbs
1 celeriac (celery root)
2 or 3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt + a few grinding of fresh black pepper

Heat oven to 450°F.  

Trim & peel parsnips; cut lengthwise into ¼-in. slices.
Peel turnip & rutabaga; cut them into quarters, then into ¼-in. slices.
Trim away top(s) of fennel; remove any tough outer leaves; cut in half lengthwise, then into ¼-in. slices.  Follow suit with the celeriac.

In a bowl, toss vegetables with olive oil.  Season with salt & pepper.

Spread vegetables in single layer on baking sheet.  Roast for 8-10 minutes; turn them and cook until slightly crisped & tender, about 6-8 minutes longer.


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## kansasgirl (Oct 11, 2004)

I love roasted fennel.  I make mine the same way, vrushed with EVOO, salt and pepper and then place cut side down on a baking sheet. I cook until the edges are well browned and it is soft.  It has a wonderful anise flavor that matches with other roasted veggies.  You can also slice it thin and use it in salads much like celery. You can saute it, use it in soups, etc. It matches well with citrus, seafood, and tomato flavors. I am sending a great recipe you might enjoy.

Fennel Gratin
2 bulbs fennel, stalks removed
1 c bechamel sauce (as follows)
4 oz fontina cheese, grated
8 oz goat cheese
2 oz fresh bread crumbs, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce:
4 tb Butter 
4 tb Flour 
2 c Milk, warmed 
Salt 
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of nutmeg 

1.Over low heat, melt the butter into a saucepan, making sure it does not brown. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.
2.Add the warm milk slowly, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and creamy. Stir in the seasonings. 

Preheat oven to 450F
1.Bring 4 quarts water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.
2.Butter 4 small round gratin dishes.
3.Halve fennel bulbs and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place in boiling water and blanch until very tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander over sink and set aside until cool enough to handle. 
4.Mix warm fennel with bechamel sauce, fontina, salt and pepper; mix well. Divide evenly among 4 gratin dishes and pat down with back of spoon.
5.Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling and hot. Remove from oven. Place a dollop or sliced round of goat cheese in the center of each dish; sprinkle bread crumbs over goat cheese and place in oven 5 to 6 more minutes, until cheese is hot and crumbs have melted in. Allow to stand several minutes before serving.


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## vilasman1 (Oct 11, 2004)

Well my 1st fennel expierence wasn't a bad one. I've never had licorce before so the flavor was interesting. I put it in the oven @ 350 for about 30 mins. It tasted ok, really a bit like cabbage and I don't like cabbage. But this was ok. 
Going to slice some raw for my wife to nibble on


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## vilasman1 (Oct 11, 2004)

Well my 1st fennel expierence wasn't a bad one. I've never had licorce before so the flavor was interesting. I put it in the oven @ 350 for about 30 mins. It tasted ok, really a bit like cabbage and I don't like cabbage. But this was ok. 
Going to slice some raw for my wife to nibble on


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## marmalady (Oct 11, 2004)

Vilasman - The next time you roast fennel, try kicking up the oven heat to about 425 - awesome!


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