Fish And Fennel Recipes

FISH AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, combine 1/3 cup water and oil. Add the fennel, tomatoes, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to fall apart, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add to skillet with vegetables. Cover, and cook until opaque, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

FISH AND FENNEL STEW

Steps:

• In a stock pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, fennel, bay leaf and season with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. Cook, stirring, until both the fennel and the onions are very tender, but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Cook's Note: Be careful to not break up the bay leaf during this process.
• Add the lemon slices, garlic, and tomato paste stirring to combine. Cook until the tomato paste turns a deep reddish brown, then add the tomato slices and season with another pinch of salt. Allow to sit and bubble a bit, then stir, repeating until the tomatoes are completely broken down and some moisture has evaporated from the pot, about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the fish stock, raise to a simmer and nuzzle the fish into the pot, and simmer until fish is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve warm with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

FISH WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut lime in half; cut four slices from one half for garnish. Finely grate enough peel from remaining half to measure 3/4 teaspoon; squeeze juice from lime half. Set aside., In a dry small skillet over medium heat, toast fennel seeds until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Cool. Crush seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle., In a large saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil. Add sliced fennel and salt; cover and boil for 6-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry., In a large nonstick skillet, saute fennel in 2 teaspoons oil for 3 minutes or until fennel is lightly browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Remove from the pan and set aside. , In the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in remaining oil for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. , Drizzle with lime juice; sprinkle with lime peel and crushed fennel seeds. Serve with sauteed fennel. Garnish with fennel fronds and lime slices.,

30-MINUTE COD WITH LEMONY BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving a handful of the fronds for garnish. Quarter the bulbs. Set each quarter on its side and slice off most of the core. Cut the quarters into wedges about 1-inch thick (don't worry if some pieces fall off the wedge-use those too).
• Put 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Place over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook without stirring until fennel is brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and let the fennel continue to cook until some more pieces brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover the skillet, and cook 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the cod with salt and pepper and place on top of the fennel. Cover the pan again and simmer, adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender and the cod is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel fronds (you should have about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons) and remove the zest from the lemon. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cool. Mix the fennel fronds and lemon zest into the breadcrumbs until combined.
• Juice the lemon. Roughly chop the olives.
• When the cod and fennel are done, stir in the lemon juice and the olives. Remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Transfer the fennel and cod to serving bowls and top the fish with the toasted breadcrumbs. Pour any remaining pan juices over the fennel.

WHOLE FISH IN FENNEL

Steps:

• Slice stems and fronds from fennel bulbs and lay on a work surface.
• Rub fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Tuck some fennel stems in fish cavity. Cover fish with remaining fennel stems and fronds. Use butcher's cord to tie fennel to fish, enclosing it. Rub fennel with another tablespoon olive oil. Trim fennel bulbs and slice 1/2-inch thick.
• Heat grill to very hot and oil grates. Place fish in fennel on grill, preferably at least 8 inches from coals or fire. Grill about 15 minutes on one side. Fennel will char.
• While fish grills, place sliced bulbs in a saucepan of boiling, salted water and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain well on paper towel.
• Turn fish and grill about 15 minutes on other side, or until flesh in cavity looks opaque and can easily be separated from the bone when poked with a knife. Remove to a platter and snip off cords.
• Rub fennel slices with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and place on grill. Sear on each side. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Bone fish and serve, with lemon wedges, additional oil for drizzling and seared fennel alongside.

OVEN-ROASTED FISH WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• 1. Trim the stalks and fronds from the fennel, and set them aside. Quarter the bulbs, cut away the cores and slice thin across the grain. You should have about 4 cups sliced fennel. Chop the fronds, and measure out 1 to 2 tablespoons (to taste). 2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fennel and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the fennel mixture is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low, and continue to cook 5 to 10 more minutes until the mixture is very soft and fragrant. Stir in the chopped fennel fronds, and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 3. While the fennel is cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough for the fish to fit in a single layer. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and arrange in the baking dish. Cover with the fennel stalks you set aside. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Check the fish; if you can cut into it with a fork, it is done (cod will cook more quickly than halibut). If it is still tough in the middle, cover and return to the oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven and check again. Remove the fennel stalks from the fish and discard. 4. Place the cooked fennel on a platter or on individual plates, top with the fish fillets and serve. Advance preparation: The cooked fennel will keep for two days in the refrigerator. Nutritional information per serving: 267 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 55 milligrams cholesterol; 20 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 226 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 30 grams protein

FISH GRILLED IN FENNEL

Steps:

• Place garlic cloves in small saucepan, cover with water, and simmer 15 minutes, until they are tender. Drain. Mash by hand or purée in small food processor. Mince 1 shallot, mix with the garlic, add half the thyme and, by hand or machine, beat in 3 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon to make a paste.
• Cut 4 deep slashes in both sides of each fish. Rub the fish inside and out with some oil and juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill slashes with garlic paste, and spread any remaining inside fish. Slice remaining shallot, and put slices in cavities. Slice one lemon, and put slices in cavities.
• Cut off fennel bulbs, and remove a few frond sprigs for garnish. For each fish, place about three fennel branches, fronds attached, side by side lengthwise on work surface. Place one fish on bed of fennel, and top with about three more branches with fronds. With butcher's cord, tie fennel around fish in 3 places. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
• Heat grill, preferably charcoal. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a shallow 4-cup baking dish.
• Slice off bottom half inch of fennel bulbs. Slice each bulb vertically, in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place in saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, drain and place in bowl of ice water. Drain and pat dry.
• Arrange fennel slices, partly overlapping, in baking dish. Scatter with remaining thyme. Drizzle with cream, and strew with cheese.
• Grill fish 10 to 15 minutes on each side, until tip of knife inserted in thickest part slips out easily and feels very warm when touched to your chin. While fish grills, place dish with fennel in oven, and bake about 15 minutes, until browned on top.
• To serve, snip off the strings around the fish, and remove the fennel. Remove the lemon and shallot slices from inside fish. Fillet fish, and arrange on platter; garnish with remaining lemon, cut in wedges, and reserved fennel sprigs. Serve baked fennel alongside.

FISH SOUP WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Slice the fennel and onion thinly, setting aside the green fennel fronds.
• Cut fish in bite sized pieces.
• Saute the fennel and onion in olive oil in a soup pot until soft but not brown.
• Add seasonings, water and dashi.
• Simmer, covered, on low for 15 minutes.
• Add fish, wine and fennel fronds.
• Continue simmering for 15 minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve with French bread and white wine.
• Note: Using dashi no moto (available in oriental grocerie stores) is an easy way of making fish stock. You may substite 2 Knorr fish boullion cubes or 2-8 oz. bottles of clam juice.

FISH AND FENNEL STEW

Steps:

• Remove skin and bones from fish. Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
• Scrub mussels and remove beards.
• Trim stems and root end from fennel bulb. Pull feathery leaves from stems and mince. Discard stems and set minced leaves aside.
• Thinly slice fennel bulb and combine with onion, garlic, carrot and oil in a 5-6 quart pan over medium-high heat. Stir often until vegetables are browned.
• Add tomatoes, broth, clam juice, wine and cayenne. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add fish and mussels. Cover and simmer just until fish is opaque but still moist-looking in center (cut to test) and mussels pop open, about 5 minutes. Add minced fennel greens and ladle into wide bowls.