Braised fennel with apricot and parsley

Honestly, I’m not a huge fennel fan. But in the name (and importance) of dietary variety, I really want to be. So I keep trying new creative ways to use the crispy bulbs and it turns out, that you can actually make some pretty yummy things with fennel! So far my favorite dishes are this braised fennel with apricot and parsley, tomato sauce and THIN shavings of raw fennel used (quite sparingly) in salads.

You can eat your fennel and enjoy it too!

I know I’m not the only one to have a complicated relationship with fennel and I think that a lot of people struggle to like it, because of the somewhat unfamiliar anise flavor – it quickly gets overwhelming and ‘to much’ in a dish.

There’s a solution to that though – yes, you can eat your fennel and enjoy it too – you just have to cook it!

When cooked, fennel changes completely.

The texture goes from crunchy to melt-in-your-mouth soft and buttery and the flavor looses it’s anise notes and turns sweet and mellow.

If, for whatever reason, you don’t like raw fennel, chances are you’ll like it cooked!

In this delicious side dish I’ve paired caramelized and braised fennel with dried apricots (that turn moist and juicy while cooking), preserved lemon, parsley, pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts. The flavors melt together beautifully, creating an amazing side for most seafood, chicken and many vegetarian dishes.

Eliminate food waste – use everything

When you buy fennel, especially if you’re lucky enough to do so at a farmer’s market, chances are they’re going to have long top stalks and fronds on them. Instead of tossing them (you don’t need them in this recipe), they’re delicious chopped and used in tomato sauce, a veggie hash or save them in the scrap bag for broth making! The fronds are delicious used as a fresh herb too – lovely on most things seafood and potato!

Braised fennel with apricot and parsley

The braised fennel with apricot and parsley is a delicious side dish; sweet and mellow, yet bursting with flavor – a brilliant match to most seafood, chicken and vegetarian dishes!

Servings 3-4

Ingredients

• 2 large fennel bulbs (long top stalks and fronds removed)
• Fine pink Himalayan salt or sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 C + 3 tbsp / 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 C + 3 tbsp / 100 ml chicken or vegetable broth
• 15 small dried apricots (preferably the brown, unsulfered ones)
• 1 tsp preserved lemon peel, minced (or 1-2 tsp organic lemon zest, finely grated)
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 handful pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Instructions

1. Trim off tough woody parts from the bottom of the fennel bulbs – don’t trim to much though, since the bottom part of the fennel bulb is what will keep the wedges together.
2. Cut the fennel bulbs in quarters, lenghtwise, and cut those in halves. Each fennel bulb should be cut into 8 wedges.
3. Heat a large deep pan (I use a sauté pan) over medium/high heat and add some olive oil.
4. Season the fennel wedges liberally with salt and pepper and arrange them in the hot pan.
5. Turn down heat to medium and caramelize the fennel wedges on both sides – they need about 5 minutes on each side.
6. With both sides nice and caramelized, it’s time to add the orange juice and broth.
7. Add dried apricots too and put a lid on the pan.
8. Let the fennel braise, lid ajar, over low/medium heat for about 20 minutes or until buttery and melt-in-your-mouth soft in texture.
9. Make sure, that the fennel doesn’t dry out – add a bit more orange juice, broth or water if necessary.
10. Add preserved lemon or lemon zest about 5 minutes  before the dish is done.
11. Garnish with parsley, pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.
12. Enjoy!

Do you want to print the recipe for braised fennel? I’ve got you!