Fenneltomatolambshanksforkids Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATO AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season lamb all over with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge lamb in flour, turning to coat evenly; shake off excess. Heat oil and butter in an 8-quart Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Working in two batches, cook until shanks are well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer shanks to a large plate; drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet.
• Place skillet over medium heat; add onions and leek, and saute until they are lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 4 minutes more. Add red wine; deglaze pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return shanks to skillet, and add chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; cover, and place in oven. Braise 2 hours; add fennel, and cook 30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spatula, transfer shanks and vegetables to a large bowl. Cover; set aside. Using a ladle, skim fat from surface of cooking liquid; cook over medium heat until liquid is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Return shanks and vegetables to pan; cook until heated through. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.

ROASTED FENNEL WITH TOMATOES (ITALIAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F.

TOMATO, FENNEL AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Steps:

• Whisk together the vinegar, tarragon, mustard, fennel seed and olive oil.
• Cut the tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick wedges. In a large salad bowl, combine the watercress, fennel and tomatoes. Toss with vinaigrette to coat, season with salt and pepper and serve.

CHICKEN, FENNEL AND TOMATO RAGOUT

Steps:

• Trim the green tops off the fennel and reserve. Halve, then quarter the fennel, cut out the core, then cut lengthways into slices.
• Prepare the chicken for cooking by seasoning with salt, pepper, paprika and crushed fennel seed.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet, add the chicken, then fry quickly until lightly opaque and browned for about 2 minutes. (Note the chicken will not be cooked through.) Add the fennel, onions and garlic, then stir briefly until the fennel has a bit of color - as much from cooking as from taking on the spices from the chicken bites.
• Add in the potatoes, diced roasted tomatoes, broth and a tomato paste, and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 15 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender to the fork but not breaking apart.
• Stir in the roasted peppers and heat through.
• Roughly chop the reserved fennel fronds, about 1 tablespoon or so, then sprinkle over the ragout. Serve in shallow bowls or plates with high lips along with crusty bread for mopping up the juices.

TOMATO AND FENNEL BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Season all sides of the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour to coat.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/4 c of olive oil and the butter over medium high heat. Sear the lamb until brown, turning to cook all sides. Transfer shanks to a roasting pan.
• In the skillet, spoon out all but a couple of spoonfuls of fat. Over medium heat, deglaze the pan with the red wine, stirring to remove the stuck scraps. Whisk in the mustard and cook for 2 minutes. Coat the lamb shanks with the red wine-mustard mixture and set aside.
• In a large, clean skillet, heat the remaining 2 T of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and leek and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add the Pernod and increase the heat to medium-high, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves; stir to incorporate the tomato paste. Add the sliced fennel to the roasting pan with the lamb. Pour the skillet's contents over the lamb and fennel and cover with aluminum foil.
• Braise for 2 1/2 bours. Skim any fat off the surface of the liquid. Serve braised shanks with vegetables and cooking broth.