If you need a little convincing when it comes to getting onboard with fennel, roasting is a fantastic way to cook it. Serve the fennel immediately after cooking it. If you know what anise smells like, it is like that. 1 whole fennel, roughly chopped The fronds can be added to a salad or to tossed with sautéed vegetables. Use fennel fronds as a garnish, or chop them and use as you would other herbs, like dill or parsley. Each tangy-fresh salad offers fewer than 200 calories. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. After washing and cutting fennel, you can roast or saute it for a dish. Build a “raft” of fennel stalks, pierced through with a skewer to bind them (if using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes to keep them from burning). So, you can tuck them into dishes for days. You’ll see a thick white core in the middle, use the knife to cut that away. Learn more... Fennel is a vegetable predominantly known for its seeds, but other parts of fennel can be used to create very flavorful and aromatic dishes. Oil is ready to use when it looks smooth and flows easily like water. Fill the celery stalks with grain- or meat-based stuffing to turn them into a full meal, and bake them in white or tomato sauce with a cheese and breadcrumb topping. You will be saving a great source of added flavor and can compost the spent stalks as you would other aromatics such as bay and tea and coffee grounds. Just be sure to mince them finely, as you would dill, to break down their grassy texture. If it sizzles right away, the oil is already heated and you can add the remaining fennel. Then, cut the remaining bulb into quarters, and peel off any outer layers that have wilted. This doesn’t mean you have to throw the stalks and fronds away, though. Transfer the blend to a sheet of waxed paper and form into a log. Roasted Fennel is an easy and delicious staple for healthy eating, and can be added to a variety of salads and meals, or simply enjoyed as a side dish! Fennel fronds are a common replacement for dill, and vice versa. Boil fennel stalks in water for 10-15 minutes to create a perfumed poaching liquid for fish or chicken. It was on sale in the grocery store. Cook the fennel for 10 to 12 minutes. This recipe uses all parts of the fennel plant — the bulb, stems and fronds — to create a delicious infusion. To learn how to roast fennel, scroll down! Thanks.". What can I do with the stalks and the rest of the fronds? Save the stalks for broth. The stalks … You should cook the fennel until it is golden brown. To soften the flavor of the bulb, try braising, sautéing, roasting, or grilling it. For a single bulb, an eighth cup of olive oil should be sufficient. Fennel fronds can be used like an herb to impart fennel’s licorice notes in raw and cooked dishes. wikiHow's. The less appreciated but still fabulous fennel stalks are loaded with the same taste profile as the bulb but are quite fibrous. Roughly chop them and add them to the simmering stock at the beginning of cooking to get all of the fennel flavor or near the end to impart just a hint to your pot. To get long slices of fennel, first cut off the stalks and fronds and set them aside. The entire fennel plant is not only edible but delicious. Fennel can be used from the bulb to the seeds to the leaves to the stalks. In Season: Fennel season lasts from mid-fall to early spring. Trim fennel bulbs from stalks, reserving some fronds to chop for garnish. Preparation Time:- 15 minutes. Slice the bulbs in half and take the cores out. Sherri Brooks Vinton. Sterilize a heat proof jar by boiling it in a large pot of water for ten minutes. Then, I slice them very thinly to use sometimes in chicken or turkey salad, or in tossed green salads, or slice them not *quite* as thinly (maybe 1/4-1/2" wide) to use with other veggies in sautees. Throw a few fennel stalks in the steamer or boiling liquid for your next crab or shrimp fest to bring a seafood friendly flavor to your crustaceans. To make Pickled Fennel: take 4 small heads of fennel and cut the stalks away. To cook fennel, start by cutting off the stems and discarding them or saving them to eat raw later. Cooking fennel mellows out the flavours and texture. Younger stalks can be finely chopped to break down their tough texture and used in place of other vegetables. How to Cook Fennel? Add garlic, tomatoes and crushed red pepper. You can immediately cut it up and serve it raw in a salad or on sandwiches or by itself as a snack. Or add a splash to tomato sauce. Use Stalks and Fronds for Cooking Fish: Fennel and fish have been best friends since the dawn of cooking. It's super easy to. Place the bulb upright on a cutting board and cut it in half vertically. You can add them to the basil-based sauce for another layer of herbaceous goodness. After using the leaves these stalks can be collected, cleaned and used. Place the stalks under a piece of fish when grilling or roasting to impart subtle flavor during cooking. For example, substitute finely diced fennel stalks for the celery that is commonly called for in mirepoix, the classic flavor base of sautéed carrot, onion and celery. Use a quarter cup olive oil if you're cooking more than one bulb. Prepping a fennel bulb is simple: just cut off the base and stalks, and wash it. Build a “raft” of fennel stalks, pierced through with a skewer to bind them (if using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes to keep them from burning). wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Fennel also pairs well with fish, seafood and white meats, but can take on stronger flavours like ginger. Young, tender fennel stalks can be sautéed as you would celery. Place 1 tablespoon (14.7 ml) of vegetable oil in a sauté pan, and heat the pan until warm. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/0f\/Cook-Fennel-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Cook-Fennel-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/0f\/Cook-Fennel-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1370226-v4-728px-Cook-Fennel-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":321,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"508","licensing":"