Fennel Continued

 A few more thoughts for relatively unknown fennel before we go full tilt into more familiar root vegetables.
Haddock with Olives, Fennel and Chili

Many Mediterranean cultures chop fennel into their fish stews. Here it is packed with fish fillets in paper packets with Moroccan flavor. The recipe is quick and easy. You can fill out the meal with roasted baby potatoes or couscous and a leafy green salad.

  serves 4
1-2 tbsp olive oil plus more to drizzle
1 sm red onion, peeled, sliced into thin disks then halved
1 lg fennel bulb, fronds off, washed, cored and chopped
     4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
    1 red chili pepper, seeded and sliced very thin
    1 doz green olives, pitted
    1 doz cherry tomatoes or 4 med tomatoes, cherries halved, medium chunked into bite sized pieces
 1  lemon, skin cut into thin strips  and 1 tbsp juice saved
  4  6 oz haddock fillets 
 4 tsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar  
   1 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste  
   1 handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat oven to 350º .        

Cut four 1' square pieces of parchment paper and four slightly larger pieces of aluminum foil. 
  Coat the bottom of a sm/med sauté or frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium. Add onion, fennel, garlic and chili pepper and sauté on med/low heat until the fennel is soft, 8-10 minutes. Divide this mix evenly among the four squares of baking paper then top with the olives, tomatoes, lemon peel and sprinkle the lemon juice over all four as evenly as you can. Season lightly with salt and pepper. 

Lay one haddock fillet atop each packet and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over it. Put 1 tsp vinegar on each fillet. Season each with salt, pepper and the oregano. Now fold the baking paper and foil over the fish to enclose it and fold over the sides, tucking them underneath. Leave some room inside for the food to steam; don't wrap very tight. Put  the packets fold side down on a baking sheet, pressing lightly so the bottom stays shut. 

Bake 15 minutes at 350º. Remove from oven and put each packet on a plate. Open them slowly so the contents come out on the plate. You can flip to have the fish on the bottom or keep it on top.  Garnish with fresh parsley and serve while hot.                                                       
          




Braised fennel with olives  

This Mediterranean recipe is simple      and lovely as a side dish. It's vegan too.
serves 4-6
slightly less than 1 c olive oil (200 ml)
4 fennel bulbs, without fronds, cut into wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
 1 lemon, zest in thinnest strips
1/2 bottle dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 sm bunch fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme leaves 
4 bay leaves
12 black olives

Heat oven to 350º.
In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil. Put in the fennel wedges in a single layer  and sauté, stirring occasionally until they are lightly browned. Add garlic cloves and lemon zest and continue cooking another 4 minutes.  Add wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil 2-3 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaves and scatter the olives over it all.

Transfer the contents of the frying pan to a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. The fennel should be very tender. Remove the bay leaves. Garnish with finely chopped fennel fronds if you wish.      

Creamed fennel with pine nuts
 

not my photo

This is a British treatment of the bulb from Nigel Slater: with heavy cream and breadcrumbs that make crunch.
 serves 4  

4 fennel bulbs, fronds off, core removed.
2-3 tbsp olive oil plus some to drizzle
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c torn pieces of fresh bread (fat crumbs)
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 orange, zest only, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c pine nuts 

 Heat oven to 400º.
Slice the fennel into very thin strips. (Thinner is faster to cook.)  
Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and warm over medium heat. Add as much fennel as fits in the pan and sauté until they are soft and golden, adding pieces as you go if you have to. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.

In a food processor, combine the torn bread, parsley, orange zest, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Process into a rough crumb mixture. Scatter this  all over the creamed fennel. Bake 20-25 minutes until the cream bubbles around the edges and the fennel is very soft.  
OPTIONALLY; garnish with chopped fennel fronds and/or toasted pine nuts.   

Fennel carrot and pistachio salad

 This is very colorful, crunchy and easy to make.
serves 4

1 lg fennel bulb, cored and chopped 
6 sm carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into thin disks (if you have some green tops, hold on to them for the finale)
1 red onion, peeled, sliced into thin disks that are halved into half moon strips
1/3 c pistachio nuts, roasted and shelled  
2 tbsp fennel fronds, finely chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
 1/4 tsp fennel seed
 salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste  
 2 tbsp fresh lemon  juice
 5 tbsp  good quality olive oil 
optional: 2 tbsp carrot greens, finely chopped 

 Combine everything but the lemon juice and olive oil in your serving bowl (med/lg) and blend well.  Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil and slowly dress the salad, turning the veggies so everything is covered.