Fennel, or Florentine dill, is an aromatic plant in the umbrella family with bright green, dill-like feathery leaves and a pale green bulb. It has a mild, delicate taste and a pleasant aniseed aroma. Fennel is eaten raw, baked, boiled, and fried for a wide variety of dishes.
The clean and fresh taste of raw fennel goes well with citrus fruits. To make sure of this once again, prepare a simple but effective salad, which can be both an appetizer and a side dish for oily fish or poultry. You will need:
- 4 onions of fennel;
- 8 sweet oranges;
- 5 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- ½ lemon;
- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley;
- 100 g pitted black olives;
- finely ground salt;
- freshly ground black pepper.
To prepare your meals, you need small, sturdy fennel bulbs with soft green leaves and fresh, aromatic herbs. They should not have stains, mold, and when pressed, the vegetable should creak slightly.
Whisk the juice of half a lemon with olive oil in a small bowl, season with parsley, salt and pepper. Wash the oranges, peel them off with a fruit knife and cut the cores along with the seeds. Cut the peeled fruit into slices. Cut the fennel onion in half and chop. Disassemble the fennel into strips, mix with olives, oranges and cover with the previously prepared dressing. Let stand 5-7 minutes and serve.
In Florence, fennel is baked with cheese and bread crumbs to create a flavorful side dish so typical of Mediterranean cuisine. You will need:
- 4 onions of fennel;
- 4 tablespoons bread crumbs;
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan;
- 25 g butter.
Preheat oven to 180C. Cut each fennel onion in half lengthwise. Having previously cut off the greens from it. Place the vegetable in a pot of boiling water for 7-10 minutes. When the fennel can be pierced with a knife, drain the water and dry the bulbs lightly.
Grease a baking dish with butter. Place the fennel in it, cut side down. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan. Place a slice of butter on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crumbs are golden.
Fluffy fennel greens can be used to flavor salads, soups, and side dishes where a sweet aniseed note would be appropriate.
Pickled fennel has a piquant taste and stunning aroma. To make such a treat, take:
- 1 kg of fennel bulbs;
- 1 tbsp. l. coarse salt;
- 800 ml of table vinegar;
- 1 ½ tbsp. grains of white, red and black pepper;
- 100 g of granulated sugar;
- zest from 1 lemon;
- 1 tsp fennel seeds;
- 25 ml of olive oil.
Pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dissolve salt in boiling water. Cut the greens from the fennel, remove the top leaves, trim the tops. Cut the onions lengthwise into slices 2-3 mm wide. Pour boiling water over pieces of vegetable and dip immediately into ice water. Put pepper, lemon zest, granulated sugar and vinegar in a saucepan. While stirring, bring to a boil.
Spread the fennel in sterile jars and cover with marinade, pour in a little olive oil on top. Close the jars with airtight lids, refrigerate and store the pickled vegetable in the refrigerator. It will be edible throughout the year.
