Not the prettiest thing you ever ate - but I promise you, these roasted fennel bulbs are really tasty !We cannot get Fennel in Tanzania. Well, the one large farm that used to grow it went bankrupt a few years ago and since then I have not ever seen it in any of the shops here. I suppose that some people do grow it for their own personal use, and maybe I should try to sometime, too. Anyway, when I was in South Africa recently I was scouring the fresh produce section of a large supermarket for interesting fruit and vegetables which we cannot get here, as I love experimenting with new things, and found some fennel. (Actually, it was my Mum who spotted it first, and we both pounced on it with glee !)
Fennel is native to the Mediterranean, and has an almost liquorice like or mild anise flavour.
The entire fennel plant can be eaten, and it can be used either as a herb or a spice. The seeds of the fennel plant can be dried and ground and used for flavouring (fennel seeds are usually added to ‘Chinese Five Spice’ and also to some curry powder blends), the leaves can be used fresh in salads (or scattered over cooked eggs or fish) , the stems can be sliced and added to soups or inside a stuffing for fish (we tried this too, and it was delicious !), and the bulbs can be roasted and eaten whole. Fennel is even used as a flavouring for some types of alcohol !
To roast our fennel bulbs, we washed them first and then topped and tailed them and cut them into quarters. They were then placed – uncovered - into an ovenproof glass dish and drizzled with olive oil, salt & freshly milled black pepper. We cooked them at 230’C/450’F/Gas Mark 8 for around 40 minutes, turning them and basting them in the oil from time to time, until they were soft and a golden brown colour on the outside. Just before serving (we ate them as a side dish with fish) we squeezed some fresh lemon juice over the top of them. The verdict ? Delicious !
Fennel is native to the Mediterranean, and has an almost liquorice like or mild anise flavour.
The entire fennel plant can be eaten, and it can be used either as a herb or a spice. The seeds of the fennel plant can be dried and ground and used for flavouring (fennel seeds are usually added to ‘Chinese Five Spice’ and also to some curry powder blends), the leaves can be used fresh in salads (or scattered over cooked eggs or fish) , the stems can be sliced and added to soups or inside a stuffing for fish (we tried this too, and it was delicious !), and the bulbs can be roasted and eaten whole. Fennel is even used as a flavouring for some types of alcohol !
To roast our fennel bulbs, we washed them first and then topped and tailed them and cut them into quarters. They were then placed – uncovered - into an ovenproof glass dish and drizzled with olive oil, salt & freshly milled black pepper. We cooked them at 230’C/450’F/Gas Mark 8 for around 40 minutes, turning them and basting them in the oil from time to time, until they were soft and a golden brown colour on the outside. Just before serving (we ate them as a side dish with fish) we squeezed some fresh lemon juice over the top of them. The verdict ? Delicious !
