Fennell bulbs - fab ideas?

[roosterroo]

Hello, this week for some reason I have 3 fennell bulbs in my veg box.

I could really do with some ideas to inspire me - the only thing I usually do is roast it with sausages and have mash with it

• Slice very thinly and have in salad with rocket or baby spinach and a mustardy vinaigrette
• Cut into quarters, place in ovenproof dish and pour over a garlicky tomato sauce, then top with mozzarella (or any other grated cheese) and some breadcrumbs, if you have them. Bake till the fennel is soft and the topping is golden.
• Quarter the fennel, cut an onion into wedges, chuck it all in a pan with some olive oil and gently soften, then pour over white wine and a splash of water or stock and braise till soft.

Slice it very thinly, use a food processor or mandolin if you have one and marinate in olive oil, salt pepper & lemon juice. It is incredibly refreshing and lovely with grilled prawns or seafood

The aniseed flavour is great with fish.

Slice fennel lengthways into about 1cm thick slices, put into a tray with a little olive oil and some slices potatos if you fancy some carbs, season and shake to coat.

Put a fillet or whole fish of your choice on top (I like sea bass fillets), glug a little white wine in and cover with foil. Bake in a hotish oven for 25 mins or so (depending on the fish) and then take the foil off for the last five minutes to brown everything.

I've got a lovely pasta recipe involving fennel but I'm in the middle of getting the DC to bed. Will post later.

I also make a kind of slaw salad with red cabbage, oranges, fennel, maybe some blue cheese and walnuts.

I do the braise gastrognome describes, but top it with parmesan cheese to serve.

You could also:

• roast it with cauliflower and toss with some butter beans, feta cheese, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and herbs (chives, flat leaf parsley etc). (You can do this raw too, just sliver the fennel very thin and cut the cauli into bite-size chunks)
• replace half the potatoes in a dauphinoise or other gratin with sliced fennel

our local fish resto does a fennel salad with grilled mackerel, works very well.

I like it braised, then add lemon juice and have it with baked feta.

Cover with bechamel and grated cheese and make a gratin in the oven.

Also magnificent in a French tomato-basedfish soup (any white fish, orange juice, garlic).

make a tomato/chilli sauce and add very thinly sliced fennel with mussels

sliced and roasted with peppers/onions/garlic/tomatoes and serve with cous cous

steamed then in cheese sauce with cauliflower

i love fennel

hth