Question About Fennel

[Ross101]

I'm about to buy fennel for the first time and I have one question. Is it eaten and used in meals pretty much the same way you would use an onion?

 

[Dawgluver]

I love the stuff. Yes to your question.. It has a slight licorice taste, and you can use the tops as garnish, or in a salad. I would more equate it with celery.

 

[GLC]

I find that fennel seems to do well with potatoes and onions. Although, rather than onions, leek is better, and a very nice fennel and leek soup can be made and garnished with fennel tops. It also does will with somewhat sweet partners, like carrots or apples. For instance, it's good in slaw. When cooked, the flavor will become more subtle and more complex. I think roasting produces the best effect. It can also be good with fish that's strongly enough flavored. I'd agree that it behaves more like celery, but more interesting.

 

[Aunt Bea]

What type of dressing should I use if I eat it raw?

 

[GLC]

That's interesting. I guess I'd try something like a raspberry (or strawberry, which might be better) vinegarette. I think the fruit component would work with fennel. I might be shooting for something that would be called creamy raspberry or strawberry vinegarette. That's something I haven't made, and I see some do "creamy" buy pureeing the fruit, and others do it by adding cream. I'd add cream.

 

[Aunt Bea]

So like a licorice Waldorf salad?

 

[GLC]

Actually, that sounds pretty good. A more lively sort of Waldorf, and I think walnuts would mate up well with fennel. No, wait. Pecans.

 

[Rocklobster]

Going through my Silverspoon cook book I have come across quite a few recipes that use Fennel. I have tried these ones and found them to be good. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and I'll give you the recipe. It also goes well with fish in various recipes...

Chicken breasts and Fennel au gratin
cream of fennel soup with smoked salmon
Eggs with fennel and mozzerella
Fennel with walnuts and orange
fennel with white wine
fried fennel
ziti with sausage onions and fennel

 

[Aunt Bea]

Going through my Silverspoon cook book I have come across quite a few recipes that use Fennel. I have tried these ones and found them to be good. Let me know if any of these sound good to you and I'll give you the recipe. It also goes well with fish in various recipes...

Chicken breasts and Fennel au gratin
cream of fennel soup with smoked salmon
Eggs with fennel and mozzerella
Fennel with walnuts and orange
fennel with white wine
fried fennel
ziti with sausage onions and fennel

Fennel with walnuts and orange sounds like a nice winter salad. What does the dressing consist of?

 

[Rocklobster]

This recipe calls for olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it.

That's why I love Italian cooking. Simplicity at its best.

 

[Aunt Bea]

This recipe calls for olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it.

That's why I love Italian cooking. Simplicity at its best.

I think I will give that a try. Wegman's has small bags of blood oranges this week. Sounds like a perfect combo!

Thanks!

 

[ChefJune]

What type of dressing should I use if I eat it raw?

I like a mustardy vinaigrette with fennel. Don't think I'd care for cream with it... If you prepare it raw, shave it pretty thin. It's fairly hard to chew in large pieces.

 

[Rocklobster]

I think I will give that a try. Wegman's has small bags of blood oranges this week. Sounds like a perfect combo!

Thanks!

Let me know how you liked it. One thing I found about fennel is that I am not particuarly fond of it. But, I have, and will, continue to keep an open mind about it. The best way I like it is very basic. Just fry it with garlic and olive oil. It seems to mellow out the strong anice flavor and it sweetens up like fried cabbage does. But, then again, I like anything fried in garlic and olive oil.

 

[Dawgluver]

It might be nice shaved into a slaw with cabbage and apple.

 

[Fabiabi]

Fennel is great as a coleslaw style salad to go with fish. Also really good braised to go with roast meats

 

[CWS4322]

I love to grate fresh fennel to add to chicken soup, it is a must for porchetta, and I like it as a slaw. It seems to me there was a recent thread on fennel...I want to say one of the Andys started it...

 

[taxlady]

Let me know how you liked it. One thing I found about fennel is that I am not particuarly fond of it. But, I have, and will, continue to keep an open mind about it. The best way I like it is very basic. Just fry it with garlic and olive oil. It seems to mellow out the strong anice flavor and it sweetens up like fried cabbage does. But, then again, I like anything fried in garlic and olive oil.

It does sound good fried in olive oil with garlic and yes, that can make lots of things taste great. I'm not all that fond of it either. It's not unpleasant enough to bother picking it out of something, but not yummy enough to buy if it isn't on special

 

[Izghoga]

When you speak about fennel you mean

this (Anethum)

or

this (Foeniculum)

Google translator translates them equally

???

 

[CWS4322]

When you speak about fennel you mean

this (Anethum)

or

this (Foeniculum)

Google translator translates them equally

???

I use both in soup and porchetta. I use the bulb in slaw, but "garnish" with some of the fronds.

 

[taxlady]

When you speak about fennel you mean

this (Anethum)

or

this (Foeniculum)

Google translator translates them equally

???

Anethum is called dill in English. No anise/liquorice flavour.