Citrus Braised Fennel

From What’s in Season: Cooking with Fennel

 

 

This recipe come from Oakland’s [now closed] Bay Wolf Restaurant, where monthly menus highlight the season’s prime ingredients, often following traditional uses from the regional cuisines of the Mediterranean. Michael Wild, founding owner and executive chef, confirms our accolades for fennel and dedicates a whole month to this versatile vegetable. Here are a few of the creative dishes prepared and created by Wild and Chef de Cuisine Louis Le Gassic to highlight fennel.

Serves 8

2 fennel bulbs, cut in ¼-inch slices
Chopped zest and juice of 4 oranges
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
2 thyme springs
1 cup white wine
black peppercorns
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat fennel slices with olive oil. Arrange in a single layer in an ovenproof dish and season well. Roast the fennel for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

Meanwhile, combine orange juice, vinegar, honey, thyme, and black peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a boil to reduce by half, then strain the mixture over the roasted fennel and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.

Arrange roasted fennel in a baking dish. Pour remaining liquid into the saucepan and reduce to a glaze. Pour glaze over the fennel and serve hot or room temperature.