Fennel is divisive; it seems to be the Marmite of the vegetable world. Personally, I love it, both for the taste and for the fact that it’s so versatile. You can eat it raw or cooked, and can use the bulb, the leaves and the seeds. Fennel bulbs lend themselves particularly well to roasting, bringing out a sweet and subtle aniseed flavour rather than the in-your-face liquorice taste that so many people seem to dislike. This year I’ve started growing my own fennel plants, and I’ve got my fingers crossed for a bumper crop later in the year.
The simple recipe below creates a sharp and sweet side dish that goes particularly well with fish. It would also work well with fatty pork or chicken, and could be roasted alongside them in the pan.
If you want some other great fennel recipes, there is a whole section on fennel in one of my favourite recipe books, Lucas Hollweg’s Good Things to Eat (affiliate link).
ROASTED FENNEL WITH LEMON
Takes: 45 minutes (5 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking)
Makes: 4 side-dish-sized portions
Ingredients:
- 2 fennel bulbs
- Olive oil
- White wine vinegar
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Approximately 4 tsp of fresh lemon juice
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Remove any foliage and stalks from the fennel bulbs, as well as the white heart at the centre. Cut the fennel into large chunks and place in an oven dish.
- Drizzle the fennel with olive oil and a splash of white wine vinegar. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, moving the fennel around the dish halfway through the cooking time.
- Take the dish out of the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the fennel.
- Put the fennel back into the oven for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.
Rosefood 