Fennel is one of those ingredients that I was missing for the first 40 years of my life but has now become one of my dear culinary friends. My best friend, Natalie, brought a few bulbs over for a barbecue several years ago and it was like the skies opened and the angels began to sing. Where had fennel been all my life?
I remember my mom making homemade pizza and calzone and using fennel seeds in her sausage but that is my only memory of this ingredient. My mom could sure make some calzone and pizza though! I will never forget setting up a small assembly line one day every year to make calzones in mass quantity to freeze. My mom made the most delicious calzone and pizza dough by hand. I have still never been able to recreate her version. I think she poured so much love into the dough that nobody can ever make it the way she did. I loved and appreciated her so much. Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mom. I miss her dearly.
I absolutely adore the anise-like flavor profile of fennel. The flavor is just herbaceous enough to not overwhelm other ingredients unless you want to be overwhelmed (which I sometimes do). I have incorporated fennel into as many dishes as possible and I have also added it into my repertoire of raw snacking vegetables. I love fennel in any form; seeds, powder, bulbs, fronds, pollen and prepared just about any way; caramelized, grilled, sautéed, raw...... you name it, I'll eat it! Needless to say, when I ran across this recipe, it was all hands on deck to give it a go. Boy, this one did not disappoint.
Ingredients:
2 fennel bulbs
2 blood or cara oranges
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
flake sea salt
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of fennel pollen (optional)
Cut fennel bulb into wedges. Cut stems into thin slices, reserving fronds. Set aside.
Section one of the oranges by cutting off both ends. Set the orange on one end, and use a paring knife to cut away peel and pith in strips, starting at top and following curves to the bottom. Then, holding the orange in one hand, carefully insert knife blade between the flesh and the membrane to cut off sections without membrane attached. The sections should come out easily. Repeat with remaining orange and set aside.
Warm olive oil in large frying pan over high heat. Add fennel wedges, using tongs to place the cut sides against bottom of pan to get a good sear. Cook until fennel is caramelized, about 3 minutes. Flip and lower heat to medium-high, cook on other side until caramelized, another 3 minutes. Season with salt, toss in fennel stems, and continue to cook until the stems are well-browned, another 2 minutes. Add orange juice, wine and stock, and let reduce until sauce is thickened and fennel is deeply seared and starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and season with lots of salt and pepper.
Pour onto serving platter. Garnish with fennel fronds, orange segments and fennel pollen (if desired). Serve warm or at room temperature.
This recipe is fairly magical. I highly recommend it as a side dish with pork. I served it with an herb-rubbed pork loin and the two went together beautifully.
Even though it is cooked, it feels fresh and light. I did however, prefer it at room temperature. The recipe says you can serve it warm or at room temp and I preferred the latter. As a side note, the recipe author mentioned that it is just fine to substitute tangelos or mandarins for the cara oranges. He also mentioned that this dish goes very well with fish. Enjoy!
Recipe Source:
"Gjelina Cooking From Venice, California" by Travis Lett, Page 157
