Hence, I am making pickled fennel! It looks so pretty in the jars as well as tasting delicious with various cold meats such as salami, seafood, fish, prawns, salmon and with salads. I am really looking forward to it, the pity is I have to wait 3 weeks or so for it to pickle! Braised fennel is a also great addition to the slow cooked meats which are so well suited to winter-time; it cuts the richness of the meat and adds a fresh, flavour dimension.
Fennel is a great low carbohydrate vegetable as well – so we can eat lots of it!
In autumn and winter is a good time to buy fennel as it is at its peak and is quite inexpensive in the green grocers. Although fennel is often thought of as a summer salad ingredient giving that lovely highly aromatic, fresh aniseed, fragrant lift to many of our dishes, it is also great to braise in your slow cooking pot. I have it growing all year round at Kureelpa and also use its frond as a pretty garnish to many dishes.
Best of all, fennel is so versatile it can be used in many different ways, and you can use all the plant – the bulb, fronds, fennel seeds, and even the fennel pollen, which is the most potent form giving maximum flavour.
It pairs well with all of our meats but it is at its best with seafood and a citrus salad. That is why I have been making some pickled fennel to accompany some prawn dishes I am planning along with a few other dishes for the season.
Unfortunately, some people do not like the aniseed flavour, however I think it is often a vital component in a dish. So, give it a go in some of the dishes you are cooking. And do try the Fennel Pickle recipe on the website.
Vegetables: All parts of the plant can be paired with vegetables in soups, salads and other dishes. Try combining it with radish, beans, olives, spinach and onions. A good fennel recipe to start with is a shaved salad, which pairs crunchy, fresh fennel with your favourite vegetables and a citrus dressing. You can even try making a winter tabbouleh.
Fruits: Fennel also pairs well with various fruits, resulting in unique desserts for special occasions or a casual night at home. Fennel goes especially well with citrus, with both lemons and oranges, and particularly blood oranges. Apples and fennel can also be an interesting, delicious choice. I have served gravlax with a fennel, radish and apple accompanying salad. It also works well with tomatoes, and in creating some wonderful soups, as well as salads.
Meat and Fish: Fennel loves pairing with pork, chicken, and sausage, and for the enthusiast even in lamb dishes. It is wonderful with every type of fish and shellfish. In Italy it is a common ingredient in crab and mussel risottos.
Health benefits: Like all other vegetables, it is good to know that fennel also has some health benefits: it is rich in Vitamin C and fibre, promoting a healthy immune system and, it is said, helps to reduce cholesterol levels.
