Here are 10 ideas for making the most out of fennel season this winter.
Puff pastry tartlets with fennel cream, gorgonzola, and hazelnuts
A small, super tasty finger food. Simply cut out discs from a sheet of puff dough using a pastry cutter. Then bake them in the oven at 355°F (180°C) for a few minutes and garnish each puff pastry with fennel cream (made by blending boiled fennel and a tablespoon of whipped cream until smooth). Add salt to taste and a teaspoon of sweet and soft gorgonzola cheese. Finish each tartlet with chopped hazelnuts.
Bacon-veggie baskets with fennel
To make this appetizer, you’ll need a pastry cutter and a small baking mold (a few centimeters smaller than the stencil). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment, lay the stencil on top, and cover with bacon slices, letting them spill over the edges. Place the smaller stencil on top of the bacon slices and bake at 390°F (200°C) for a few minutes until crispy. Remove the bacon from the oven and garnish with thinly sliced fennel and celery, fresh spinach leaves and grapes. Season with an emulsion of extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of mustard and salt. Serve immediately.
Torta salata (savory cake)
Make the cake batter with 200 g flour, 100 g milk, 3 eggs, a teaspoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of olive oil. Knead the ingredients together and let rest for 30 minutes in the fridge. Then spread the dough onto a buttered baking dish. Cover the surface of the dough with slices of brie cheese and boiled fennel. Brush with a beaten egg mixed with 200 g heavy cream. Sprinkle with a generous handful of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Bake for 25 minutes at 355°F (180°C). Serve the cake in slices over a fresh mixed salad.
Spaghetti alla chitarra with fennel and anchovies
This very appetizing first course can be made in just a few minutes. Sauté the sliced fennel in a little oil with a crushed garlic clove. Remove from the heat once cooked (but still crunchy). In the same pan, toast some breadcrumbs with a little oil. Then add some anchovies and pine nuts. Fry for a few minutes, then add the fennel back in and stir until combined. Boil the spaghetti and drain al dente. Use the fennel sauce to season the pasta. If desired, you can add a sprinkling of tuna roe to garnish.
Fennel vellutata with cauliflower and clams
For a refined dinner. Prepare the fennel cream by boiling the fennel in salted water for ten minutes. Then drain and fry in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic. Once cooked, transfer to a blender. Add a tablespoon of fresh cream and blend. Set aside and keep warm. Separately, reduce the cauliflowers into small florets and boil them for ten minutes. Heat the clams in a pot with a little oil. Once opened, filter the clams from the cooking liquid. Transfer the shelled clams, their filtered liquid, a tablespoon of oil, the boiled cauliflower and a handful of chopped parsley back into a pot. Stir and cook to combine flavors. Serve with freshly ground pepper.
Savory fennel with sausage and Camembert cheese
A first course that works as a full meal or an informal lunch! First boil the fennel for 8 minutes until cooked but still crunchy. Once cooked, transfer to a buttered baking sheet with some sautéed chopped sausage. Finish with slices of Camembert cheese. Add a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano and bake at 355°F (180°C) for 10 minutes (enough time for the cheese to melt). Serve hot.
Millefoglie with fennel and sea bream
You can make this appetizer or second course in advance. Start by preparing the tomato confit, adding sliced cherry tomatoes to a baking sheet sprinkled with a pinch of salt and sugar. Add a drizzle of oil and bake at 212°F (100°C) for about two hours. Once ready, remove them from the oven with their cooking liquid. Then boil the fennel for 8 minutes and dice. Fry the sea bream fillets in a pan with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Then chop them and place them on the bottom of a bowl. Add the sliced fennel, the cherry tomato confit with their cooking liquid, and some crumbled taralli. Sauté all the ingredients in a pot with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
Caramelized fennel
An impressive side dish. To make it, simply cut the fennel into segments, which you’ll add to a pot with a little oil and ½ cup of water. Let them stew until soft. Once soft, remove the excess water, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and ½ cup of orange juice to caramelize the fennel. Serve with a sprinkling of grated orange peel.
Meat sauce
With fennel, you can even make an excellent sauce for grilled meat. Simply boil the fennel in salted water with a slice of lemon. Once ready, blend them with a tablespoon of oil, chopped chives, salt, pepper, a tablespoon of mustard and two tablespoons of water. Mix well and serve with grilled meat.
Fennel and tuna skewers
A quick and easy recipe – great for lunches or informal dinners. Start by frying the fennel in a little oil with some shallot wedges, salt and pepper. In a separate pan with a drizzle of oil, fry a slice of tuna breaded in chopped pistachios. Cut the tuna into smaller pieces and assemble the skewers, alternating the fennel and tuna. Accompany your skewers with a saffron-flavored mayonnaise.