Fennel- A delicious conundrum
Fennel- A delicious conundrum
How could I have forgotten a delicious staple veg in my edible garden? Fennel is easy to grow- you can find it wild in many places. Altho beware, dogs love to "water" this aromatic plant much the same way they are impelled to sprinkle anything pine scented. It can become a weed if you don't maintain it ruthlessly, but since it's delicious, that's not a problem for me. It's the "Ingredient of the Month February: Fennel," in the wine lover’s discussion board http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=6423
I have edited and paraphrased it into a list for myself to refer. I also looked it up on the oracle www.cooksillustrated.com
Some people find it too pungent and licorice tasting, but I’m a huge fan and so I'm really excited to find out how everyone uses fennel, which can be a conundrum in the kitchen.
How's that you ask?
Well the big question is always- How/where do you use it?
I like to use it in dishes the same way I use onions, slice the bulb into thin strips, sauté till soft and gently sweet- it adds a note of complexity to the dish. If you don’t like the strong flavor, cooking can soften the intensity.
But you know there’s always the green stalks and frondy leaves…
Yup, they’re edible too. I like to dry the stalks in my dehydrator and add it for a subtle zing to sauces where parsley is added. I also like to use them in place of celery (which I find has a soapy taste-blech). You can freeze the stalks and save them for another cooking adventure. Other folk also use the stalks, and I’m excited to see some new ones that I hadn’t thought of before.
Ideas I’ll definitely use:
Stalks
1. In brine- chopped along with garlic, thinly sliced lemons and bay leaves.
2. As a "rack" in the roasting pan (along with leeks and carrots) under the chicken while roasting;
3. Chopped with onions, sweated in butter as a base for soup - with chicken stock.
4. Tea for stomach ailments (maybe with mint or ginger)
Bulbs
5. Raw
a. For salad of various kinds-especially thinly sliced with thin curls of good Parmesan, superior olive oil, good freshly ground pepper.
b. Slaw
6. Cooked-
a. In a soffrito
b. Inside sausage.
c. In poultry stuffing.
d. In a roux
e. Stuffed in whatever (eg mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers) and baked.
f. Braised
g. Roasted
h. Gazpahco
i. Poached with fish
Seeds-
7. Sprinkle a few fennel seeds in to intensify the flavor
8. Infused Oil