Oven Braised Fennel Recipes

OVEN-BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a baking dish.
• Remove the stems and fronds from the fennel, quarter the bulbs and slice them one-half-inch thick. Arrange the slices in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Dot with one tablespoon of the butter.
• Pour the simmering chicken stock around the fennel, cover with a lid or foil and place in the oven to bake about 40 minutes, until tender. Uncover the fennel, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake 10 minutes longer, until lightly browned and most of the liquid has evaporated.
• While the fennel is baking, brown the bread crumbs in remaining butter in a skillet and set aside. Just before serving the fennel sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut the green stalks from the top of the white fennel bulbs and cut the brown, round stump from the base. Cut fronds from stalks. Chop the fronds and set aside 2 tablespoons for serving. Cut bulbs in half 4 times, making 8 wedges out of each.
• Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add fennel wedges, flat-side down, and brown for 3 minutes. Flip and cook for about 2 minutes more. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let wine reduce by half. Pour in chicken broth and orange juice.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until fennel is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Plate fennel. Sprinkle with salt and garnish with orange zest and fennel fronds.

BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Cut off and discard stalks from fennel bulbs, reserving fronds. Chop 1 tablespoon fronds and discard remainder. Cut bulbs lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, leaving core intact.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown fennel slices well, turning over once, 3 to 4 minutes total.
• Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle fennel with salt and pepper, then add broth and water. Cook, covered, until fennel is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with fennel fronds.

FENNEL BRAISED WITH OLIVE OIL AND LEMON

Steps:

• Trim the tops and bottoms from the fennel bulbs, reserving a handful of the fronds. 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).
• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add the fennel and cook, without stirring, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and let some more pieces brown for a minute or two.
• Stir in 1/2 cup water, scraping the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Simmer, shaking the pan and adding more liquid occasionally if the pan is dry, until the fennel is very tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the reserved fennel fronds and mix them with the lemon zest.
• When the fennel is tender, stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the olives, remove from the heat and let stand for about 1 minute to warm the olives. Transfer the fennel to a platter. Sprinkle the fennel frond mixture over the top, drizzle with additional olive oil and serve.

ROASTED FENNEL WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange the fennel in the dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with the Parmesan. Drizzle with the oil. Bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Chop enough fennel fronds to equal 2 teaspoons, then sprinkle over the roasted fennel and serve.

BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place orange juice, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin, and lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl; whisk until well combined.
• Place fennel in a baking dish just large enough to fit fennel in an even layer; pour over orange juice mixture. Cover with parchment-paper-lined aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Bake for 35 minutes, uncover, and continue baking until fennel is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven; serve warm or at room temperature.

BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim stalks flush with fennel bulb and cut each bulb lengthwise into quarters, or halves, if using small bulbs.
• In a heavy saucepan large enough to hold the fennel flat in one layer, melt 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat.
• Add fennel garlic, thyme, and toss to coat with butter.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Add wine and chicken stock.
• Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover.
• Braise for 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Reseason with salt and pepper, to taste.

SKILLET-BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Trim the tops of the fennel bulbs; cut bulbs in half lengthwise.
• Melt butter in a large iron skillet over medium heat. Add sugar and stir until melted. Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add fennel, cut side down, and cook until well browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to let the fennel burn.
• Turn over bulbs and add orange juice, water, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover pan and cook until fennel is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 to 30 minutes. If the pan becomes dry during cooking, add a little more water. If any liquid is left at the end of the cooking time, continue to cook, uncovered, at medium heat until the liquid evaporates. Garnish with parsley leaves and serve immediately.

OVEN-ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Trim the stalks off the fennel, setting the green fronds to the side to later use for garnish, if desired. Trim the root ends to create a flat surface; there is no need to remove the core. Slice fennel into 1/4- to 1/3-inch slices and place on the baking sheet.
• Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush over the fennel slices.
• Roast in the preheated oven until fennel is soft and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes, turning slices over halfway through. Remove to a serving platter and garnish with green fronds, if desired.

ROMAN-STYLE BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• In a 12-inch high-sided skillet, melt butter over medium. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add oil and garlic, and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add fennel, wine, lemon juice, oregano, parsley and 1½ cups of water, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high, stirring to evenly coat the fennel in the liquid. Arrange the fennel in an even layer.
• Cover, reduce heat to medium and braise until fennel is tender, about 30 minutes, stirring and flipping halfway through.
• Transfer fennel to a serving platter, and spoon over the shallots and sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve warm or at room temperature.

BRAISED FENNEL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the baby fennel bulbs or quartered bulbs.
• Return to a boil and cook 10 minutes, until the fennel is tender.
• Drain and set aside.
• In a frying pan large enough to hold all the fennel, heat the oil over medium-low heat, and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Cook gently until the garlic has softened.
• Add the fennel and continue cooking, stirring to coat the fennel with the oil.
• Cook for an additional 5 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.