Fennel

[FusionChefGeoff]

Recently discovered a love of fennel in tomato based sauces after eating a meal at a friend's house but I'm clueless how to actually get it in there.

For example, today I've just thrown a sausage / tomato / bean / veg pot on the go and thought - ooh fennel - but I've got seeds - do I need to toast / grind then add them?? Is it too late - should they have gone in at the sweating the veg stage?

Any tips would be very gratefully received.

[PleaseGetOffTheTableDarling]

Nah, not too late, chuck 'em in! A little goes a long way though 🙂

[FusionChefGeoff]

Ooh - great - I'll put 1/2 tsp of the seeds in now then (it's a pretty big pot - 3 tins of toms, 6 sausages, loads of veg) and see what happens.

[Blondie1984]

Have you tried using fresh fennel? That would be nice in your sausage dish so perhaps try adding some next time you make it

[CaitAgusMadra]

There's fennel seeds in Jamie Oliver's Jools Pregnant Pasta

[CaitAgusMadra]

*there are

[FusionChefGeoff]

That is now on next week's plan! Thanks Cait

[flamingnoravera]

Grind your fennel seeds first.

Use a few ground seeds, add fresh fennel sliced and fried in olive oil and garlic- add a tin of good quality tomatoes, simmer till the fennel is soft and serve with pasta- yummy. You can add salami cubes if you want to add meat to the dish.

[YelloDraw]

Use a few ground seeds, add fresh fennel sliced and fried in olive oil and garlic- add a tin of good quality tomatoes, simmer till the fennel is soft and serve with pasta- yummy. You can add salami cubes if you want to add meat to the dish

Or add sliced yellow peppers and prawns or chickpeas. Yum.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Jamie Oliver's sea bass with fennel seed coating is my current favourite meal.

[NoNoNotAgain]

Cait's suggestion of JO pasta is a good one - my lot love it.

JO has a recipe for trout layered with fresh fennel- not tomatoey, but lovely.
www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tastyfishbake_73312

[Allalonenow]

If you are making something with a short cooking time such as pasta sauce, about half an hour beforehand soak your fennel seeds in a small amount of hot water (a little in a small cup for example) then tip seeds and water into sauce. This is a tip from Georgio Locatelli that I now use.

If the dish has a longer cooking time, such as sausage casserole, you can just add the seeds as normal, don't toast them.

Look out for salami flavoured with fennel, absolutely delicious!