A Favorite -- and Fast -- Fall Side Dish
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Photos: Adam and Joanne Gallagher
Here’s a quick and easy vegetable side dish for you. To serve four, start with two fennel bulbs. Usually, you'll find them in the store with stalks and fronds intact; the fronds are those wispy green tips at the top of the fennel. You can reserve and use those as you would a fresh herb (a favorite for us is to use them in recipes where dill would be called for -- egg salad is a great option). For this recipe, we're focusing on the bulb, but the stalks can be saved to be added to a homemade soup or stock.
Next, cut the fennel bulb in half, lengthwise, and then slice each half into wedges -- since we never cut the ends, the layers will stay together.
Heat a large pan (with lid) over medium-high heat, add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and then lay down the fennel wedges in one layer. Cook for 2 minutes.
Flip each wedge and sear the other side for about 2 minutes.
Now, add the zest and juice of half an orange.
Finally, pour in 1 cup of water (or chicken stock) and cover with a lid for about 8 minutes or until the fennel is tender.
Braised Fennel
Recipe by Adam and Joanne Gallagher for Steamy Kitchen
See more of Adam & Joanne's recipes on their own blog, Inspired Taste
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients:
2 whole fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 orange zested and juiced
1 cup water or chicken stock
Method:
Cut off and discard stems/stalks from fennel bulbs, reserving fronds (wispy green tips).
Roughly chop about 1 tablespoon of fronds, discard or save the rest for another use.
Cut the fennel bulbs in half lengthwise.
Cut the halves into 1/2-inch thick wedges and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel wedges and brown, turning over once, about 2 minutes on each side.
Reduce heat to low, add water and cook, covered, until fennel is tender, 8-10 minutes. Serve hot and sprinkle with reserved fennel fronds.
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