Crunchy, slightly sweet and pungent, with a subtle hint of dill, anise or liquorice. With the latter not exactly one of my favourites, I never used to cook with fresh fennel, except for using fennel seeds in my regular SOURDOUGH BREAD, where they add fantastic flavour, be it ground in the crumb or as crunchy seeds in the crust. Until I discovered this recipe...
The combination of fennel, curry, and the additional spices is fantastic and overrides that pungent liquorice taste, creating a beautifully scented and tasty vegetable. And the fennel looks so beautiful with its blossom-like shape, making it a star on any dining table.
It's so quick to make, and meanwhile has managed to catapult itself very high on our (yes even mine!) favourites list of quick lunches. But we also have it as a starter or side-dish, for example with salmon. But not only is it pretty and tastes great, according to the World-Health-Food Website it also contains a lot of Vitamin C and other nutrients, is high in fibre, and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Recipe based on: Roasted Curried Fennel, by Soni, at soni's food
The ingredients below are based on Soni's original recipe with the addition of fennel seeds. Instead of mixing the spices together, I just sprinkle them liberally on the fennel one-by-one, so quantities I use may vary, also depending on the size of the fennel bulb. Adding the spices one-by-one also means that the fennel is more unevenly coloured with beautiful yellow-orange to red rainbow patches...
1 fennel bulb
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp mild paprika powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt
extra virgin olive oil
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/175C Fan. Line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper. Clean the fennel: cut off any brown or mushy bits with a small knife. Remove the stalks (leaving a couple of centimetres on the bulb) and feathery green leaves (they can both be used for soups, so freeze for later use). Rinse, then slice into app. ½ to 1 cm thick slices from top to bottom. Arrange the slices on the backing trays.
Dust generously with the spices (alternatively mix the spices together in a bowl and sprinkle over) followed by the fennel seeds, salt, and a good sprinkle of olive oil.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for app. 20-30 minutes or until the fennel is nicely golden and soft. Serve immediately.
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ROASTED CURRIED FENNEL
The ingredients below are based on Soni's original recipe with the addition of fennel seeds. Instead of mixing the spices together, I just sprinkle them liberally on the fennel one-by-one, so quantities I use may vary, also depending on the size of the fennel bulb. Adding the spices one-by-one also means that the fennel is more unevenly coloured with beautiful yellow-orange to red rainbow patches...
1 fennel bulb
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp mild paprika powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt
extra virgin olive oil
1) Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/175C Fan.
2) Prepare baking trays: Line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper.
3) Cut the fennel into slices: Clean the fennel: cut off any brown or mushy bits with a small knife. Remove the stalks (leaving a couple of centimetres on the bulb) and feathery green leaves (they can both be used for soups, so freeze for later use). Rinse, then slice into app. ½ to 1 cm thick slices from top to bottom. Arrange the slices on the backing trays.
4) Season: Dust generously with the spices (alternatively mix the spices together in a bowl and sprinkle over) followed by the fennel seeds, salt, and a good sprinkle of olive oil.
5) Bake: Bake in the pre-heated oven for app. 20-30 minutes or until the fennel is nicely golden and soft.
6) Serve: Serve immediately.
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