Fennels of love.
Fennel conjures up memories of tickled brushes along roadside walks and and stubborn root systems. On a more current note, fennel makes Absinthe, giving it a far better street cred than any other vegetable. At its best, fennel's crunchy base can be cooked down to a lovely, tender side dish and paired with anything from fish to roasted chicken.
I love fennel in nearly every form. Picked young, we slice it up and add it to salads. When we forget to harvest and find ourselves with large fan-shaped hearts, I slice it them half and braise them. And what of the feathers? The fronds are lovely paired with citrus dressings. Their licorice-like flavor intensifies this time of year and are better freshly picked.
Enjoy this recipe- it's lovely as a side dish or, once cooked, sliced to accompany your favorite slices of goodness in a sandwich.
On a side note, Anise, as a flavor, can come from one of three plants; anise the herb, star anise the evergreen trees' star-shaped fruit, and fennel, featured vegetable. On another 'nother side note, fennel is a rather invasive species her in Southern California. You'll see it alongside PCH and roadways, but planting it outside a contained garden bed isn't recommended.
Braised Fennel
4 small fennel bulbs, with fronds
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Cut the stalks at the base of the fennel heart. Cut down the center of the vegetable, reserving fronds. You will now have 8 halves. Chop 1 tablespoon fronds, (reserving the remainder for the lovely salad you might be making to accompany this meal).
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Place the fennel flat-side down. Brown well, turning over once, 3 to 4 minutes total.
3. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle fennel with salt and pepper, then add broth. Cook, covered, until fennel is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with fennel fronds.
Wishing you a delicious day,
Clémence and Hadley
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