cooking with fennel

10 years ago

Back in my NY garden and the fennel is tittie high, no bulbs. Lovely plant.
Did a search and found some good advice. (link below)

"...While common fennel will produce bulbs, they are generally of inferior quality. The bulbs you buy at the supermarket are usually those of Florence Fennel, which is grown specifically for the bulb..."

I do like the bulbs but wondered what to do with the frills and flowers and stalks.
A recipe linked makes a base of the folded stalks on the grill with a fish fillet on top. Good to know.
Topped some seared scallops last night with the 'frills' where i might normally use chives.

Any other ideas? The stalks are tough. Freeze or dried? (the seed/flower heads with the frills) ...running out of freezer space so we are making a dehydrator for a massive asian pear crop.

Here is a link that might be useful: what do you do with your fennel

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Comments (5)

carol_in_california
10 years ago
I have been wondering the same thing.....I bought my fennel plant at Orchard Hardware and it was labeled Florence fennel but it has no bulb.
There was a recipe using fennel pollen with pork but I don't know where I have it.
I am thinking about trying it with some cod I have.
Hope someone has some good hints for us.
I found the recipe.....it really was good.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tuscan pork

This post was edited by carol_in_california on Mon, Sep 9, 13 at 19:20
foodonastump
10 years ago
Carol - I had forgotten about that recipe for quite a while but made it again a couple weeks ago. As always, just kind of smiled at the call for fennel pollen. :)
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I make fennel in some of the ways listed above, including pasta sauce. Here are a couple of other recipes we like. FISH WITH ORANGE AND FENNEL - serves 2 1 lb. red snapper fillets * 1 tsp. EV olive oil pinch of salt freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 Tbs. Pernod ** 1 navel orange, peeled and sliced, each slice cut into quarters 1 large fennel bulb, rinsed and finely chopped 1 large red onion, halved root end to stem end and very thinly sliced 1/3 cup fresh fennel greens, rinsed and finely chopped Slice the fish into two or four equal pieces and place in a small oiled baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Pernod. Mix together the remaining ingredients and scatter evenly over the fillets. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or 10 minutes per inch of thickness including the vegetables. Test with fork to determine when the fish is opaque, milky white, and cooked through. Serve immediately on warmed plates. * - redfish, striped bass, halibut, grouper, rockfish, drum, porgy or monkfish can be substituted for the snapper. ** - Pernod, the anise-flavored apertif, reinforces the flavor of the fennel. Use lime juice if Pernod is unavailable but the flavor will be different. I've also used anisette. TOMATO-FENNEL CONSOMME - makes about 6 cups 4 medium-sized fennel bulbs (about 4 pounds) 2 medium-sized onions (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into chunks 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 1/2 tsp. salt (less if using canned tomatoes 6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), chopped - or three 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes a pinch or two of cayenne (optional) Croutons (optional) Remove the leafy tops from the fennel, and set aside. Cut the fennel bulbs into chunks. Place them in a food processor with the onions, and pulse together until finely minced. (You can also do this by hand.) Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the chopped onion-fennel mixture and the salt, and sautÃ¯Â¿Â½ over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Lightly rinse out the food processor bowl and set aside to use again later. Add the water and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 20 - 30 minutes. Transfer the soup to the food processor and puree. Carefully strain into a large-ish bowl (if you plan to serve this cold) or another saucepan (if you're serving it hot). Don't press too hard on the vegetables, so the consomme stays clear. Season to taste with cayenne. Heat or chill the soup, depending upon your taste and the weather. Garnish each serving with some of the feathery fennel tops, minced into tiny bits with scissors. You can also float some croutons on top, if you like. Source: Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven
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annie1992
10 years ago
No hints, I also grew some of those fennel fronds, no bulbs, a couple of years ago. I did plant Florence Fennel and the stuff had prodigious roots but no bulbs, unfortunately.

I used the fluffy fronds as seasoning when grilling fish and for stuffing chicken, but nothing exceptional, and I did add some to vegetables when I roasted them. The stalks/stems were too tough to do anything useful with.

Annie
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
Original Author
10 years ago
DH is excited about using it as a grill bed. The stalks are full of moisture so they will steam and smoke a bit. I always grow dill but it bolts quickly. I don't usually buy starts as i start my own seeds but will try a few things from my local nursery. The small 2dollar tray had many, maybe 2 dozen tiny starts that i put between my tomatoes. Yikes they are huge.

"When the grill is ready, make a bed of the fennel or dill stalks. Sprinkle the fish lightly with salt and cayenne to taste and lay it (skin side down, if there is a skin side) directly onto the fennel or dill. Close the grill if possible and cook, without turning, until the fish is done Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½" it will be just about opaque all the way through, and offer no resistance to a thin-bladed knife Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½" about 10 minutes."

Gardens can get a bit scruffy during harvest month in the NorthEast. Fennel is a hardy stalk and very pretty right now. I do like to grow edibles and this might be nice as a woven grill plate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Grilled Fish the Mediterranean Way
shambo
10 years ago
My Greek family used to make baked fish (plaki) with a tomato sauce topping. The basic recipe always contained canned tomatoes, a bunch of chopped up green onions, thin lemon slices, and an assortment of herbs. The one herb my mom & grandmother always used was fennel fronds. Fennel grew wild in vacant lots in LA when I was growing up. I have fond memories of foraging with them as a young girl.

Here's the recipe:

Plaki
(Greek Baked Fish)

A simple, colorful, and flavorful baked fish casserole. Perfect for guests and family!

6 fillets firm, fleshed fish such as cod, red snapper, etc. (approximately 2 pounds)
1 bunch green onions, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can diced tomatoes (14 ounce)
2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
ÃÂ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped*
ÃÂ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped*
ÃÂ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped* (fresh oregano, dill, or fennel fronds may be substituted)
2 lemons, thinly sliced (remove seeds)
ÃÂ¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and dry fish. Brush a baking pan with olive oil. Place fish in pan. Heat frying pan and add olive oil. SautÃÂ© green onions, garlic, parsley, mint, and basil in oil. Add canned diced tomatoes. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Pour tomato mixture over fish. Cover fish with lemon slices. Bake uncovered at 350ÃÂ° for 25-30 minutes until fish flakes with fork.

Serve with roasted potatoes or rice.

*If fresh herbs are not available, feel free to substitute 1 tablespoon dried herbs for each ÃÂ¼ cup of the fresh.

cooking with fennel

Comments (5)

carol_in_california

foodonastump

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annie1992

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
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shambo

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cooking with fennel

Comments (5)

carol_in_california

foodonastump

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annie1992

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)Original Author

shambo

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sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
Original Author