Fennel Confit With Kalijira Rice And Olives Recipes

FENNEL AND FINGERLING CONFIT

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine the fingerlings, fennel, red onions, garlic, thyme and bay. Add olive oil to cover. Season with salt.
• Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook VERY gently for 45 minutes. Strain the veggies from the oil, reserving the oil for another use.
• Season the veggies with more salt if needed and garnish with the chives. Serve hot.

RICE WITH FENNEL AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Combine rice, water and fennel seed, and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer, cooking a total of 17 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
• Chop whole onion.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet until it is very hot, reduce the heat to medium high, add oil and saute onion until it softens and browns.
• Meanwhile, trim stalks from fennel, remove tough outer layer from bulb and cut fennel into julienne strips. Add to onion as it browns, and continue cooking.
• Pit the olives; then, add to the onion and fennel and continue cooking until the rice is done.
• Stir the rice into the onion and fennel, season with salt and pepper and serve.

FENNEL CONFIT WITH KALIJIRA RICE AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Peel 2 shallots and place in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and set aside. In a small deep baking dish, combine fennel, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme and 2 cups oil. Cover both dishes. Bake shallots until tender, about 1 hour. Bake fennel until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• When shallots are baked, drain on paper towels and transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle with red-wine vinegar and sugar, and return to oven until dry, 2 to 3 minutes. When fennel has baked, remove from heat and keep warm.
• Peel and mince remaining shallot and remaining clove garlic. Place a saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil, and add minced shallot and garlic. Sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Rinse and drain rice and add to pan. Stir until thoroughly coated with oil. Add 1 1/4 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for a few minutes. Chop roasted shallots. Fluff rice with a fork, and fold in roasted shallots, butter and olives. Keep warm.
• While rice cooks, prepare vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together whole-grain mustard, Dijon mustard, white-wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and broth. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4 cup oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• To serve, cut each fennel bulb into quarters. Divide rice among four plates, and place two pieces of fennel on each plate. Drizzle vinaigrette over and serve.

CHICKPEAS AND FENNEL WITH RICE

Steps:

• Soak rice in pot for ten minutes in enough water to cover. When ten minutes are up, rinse the rice and add 1 cup fresh water. Cover and bring to a boil, then set on low heat to simmer for 8-9 minutes.
• While rice cooks, chop fennel bulb and put in pan with olive oil. Cook on medium heat until fennel begins to soften.
• Add chopped garlic, chickpeas, salt and pepper.
• When rice is finished cooking, turn off burner under rice and leave, covered, for ten minutes more (makes it fluffy).
• Add garam masala to chickpeas and fennel for remaining five minutes of cooking, while the rice is sitting, and add fresh fennel tops (the feathery parts) near the end of cooking (just to warm them up).
• Serve side by side on big plates, and enjoy!

ROASTED FENNEL WITH OLIVES AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine fennel, olive oil, garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper in large bowl; toss to coat. Spread fennel out on baking sheet; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Roast fennel 15 minutes. Using tongs, turn wedges over. Continue to roast until tender, turning 1 more time, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle olives over fennel. Roast until fennel begins to brown at edges, about 8 minutes longer. Season fennel with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

FENNEL STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE AND KALAMATA OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, reserving fronds, and cut outer 2 layers loose at base, removing them carefully and reserving rest of bulb for another use. Chop reserved fronds. In a small bowl cream together cream cheese, olives, and chopped fronds. Spread inside of larger fennel layer with cream cheese mixture and press back of other layer onto filling firmly. Chill fennel, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Unwrap fennel and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut slices crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide sections.

CONFIT FENNEL WITH CAPSICUM AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Peel and seed the tomato, chop the capsicum and finely chop the onion and garlic.
• Melt the onion and garlic in half the olive oil until they are soft and slightly golden.
• Fry the capsicum slowly with the onions and garlic until it is well cooked and tender.
• Add the chopped onion and cook it till soft.
• Add chopped anchovy fillets, capers and mint and stir together.
• Allow to cool, then blend this mixture with the chicken stock.
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Oil a gratin dish with the remaining olive oil.
• Cut the fennel bulbs in half and then into slices. Cut head to tail, not across, and you will be able to re-assemble each half-bulb face down in the gratin dish.
• Pour the capsicum-tomato-stock mixture over and around the fennel. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 1 hour or until the fennel is soft but not completely cooked.
• Remove the foil and cook a further 15 minutes till the sauce has thickened.
• When the sauce is thick, top the fennel with the grated parmesan and return to the oven until the fennel is tender and the parmesan has melted.