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Prep time
5 minutes
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Cook time
2 hours
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Fake anyone who tells you that vegetables cannot be comforting! Often eaten raw, fennel has great surprises in store for you when slowly cooked. This vegetarian dish, gently simmered in a fragrant and perfectly spiced broth, then caramelized in a pan, is enough to warm you up during this upcoming autumn period. To also compensate for the shortening days, this fennel will certainly add a lot of sunshine to the darker fall evenings. Serve it warm with creamy whipped feta and a few homemade pita chips and you're in for a delightful blast of temperatures, flavors and textures. —Jonathan Michaud
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the fennels
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2
whole fennel bulbs, leaves and branches trimmed
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1 liter
low sodium vegetable stock
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1 pinch
Iranian saffron
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1 tablespoon
cumin seeds
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1 tablespoon
ground tumeric
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1/2 teaspoon
chili powder or hot pepper flakes
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salt and pepper, to taste
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
- Ingredients for whipped feta and toppings
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1 cup
(250g) ricotta
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1/4 cup
(50g) plain yogurt
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2/3 cup
(100g) coarsely crumbled feta + 1/3 cup for topping
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1/2
lemon, juiced
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salt and pepper, to taste
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1 handful
watercress or arugula leaves
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1/2 cup
blanched sweet peas
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a few thin slices of raw carrot
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some fennel leaves
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homemade or store-bought pita chips, crumbled
Directions
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Place the whole fennel bulbs in a saucepan. Add the spices and pour in the vegetable stock. Salt and pepper. At least 3/4 of the bulbs must be submerged. Bring everything to a boil. Then lower the heat and cook very gently for 2 hours. Turn the fennel during cooking. If the liquid evaporates too much, add a little water. Once cooking is done, let cool almost completely.
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While the fennel cooks, prepare the whipped feta. Place the ricotta, yogurt and feta in the food processor. Add the lemon juice and season to taste. Blend until you obtain a smooth and silky texture. Reserve in a cool place.
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Cut the cooled braised fennel bulbs into quarters. In a large non-stick skillet, heat a little olive oil and lightly roast the fennel wedges over high heat.
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To serve, spread a generous spoon of whipped feta then add two pieces of braised fennel. Garnish with watercress or arugula, fennel leaves, sweet peas, carrots and crumbled feta. For even more texture, crumble some well seasoned pita chips.
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