Roasted Fennel
on Aug 15, 2020
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Roasted fennel is a delicious answer to a question I hear often. Sometimes at the grocery store, often at the farmer’s market, someone will ask, “How do you use fennel?”
We have a few recipes to help those folks out. If you are one of them, you’re going to love this savory side dish. Be sure and try this easy roasted vegetable recipe soon!
What is it?
Fennel is a member of the carrot family, but it is not a root vegetable. I think it is an unsung hero in the culinary world and a mystery to many.
It has tall, wispy and beautiful green fronds, and a large bulb which is usually what we use for recipes. The fronds make great garnishes and can be chopped and added to dishes for a little extra flavor as well.
What’s in it?
This simple recipe uses fennel, coated with olive oil and flavored with Parmesan cheese. We add fresh oregano and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a little extra flair.
How to make it
Start by making sure you have the short list of ingredients. For kitchen tools and equipment, you will need:
- A mixing bowl
- A cutting board
- A chef’s knife
- A wooden spoon or rubber spatula
Read on and learn how to roast fennel!
- Trim the tops and bottoms of the fennel bulbs, then wash and rinse them. Cut the bulbs into wedges.
- Mix the fennel wedges, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt, and pepper.
- Spread the mixture into s single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, flip the wedges and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese and roast for another 10 minutes.
You can roast fennel in just over a half hour.
When the fennel is fork tender, take it out of the oven. Return it to the mixing bowl and add more Parmesan cheese and some chopped fennel fronds.
Mix it all together and serve this roast fennel to some happy diners!
FAQ
It has a light, anise-like taste (which is where licorice gets its flavor from.) It does not make food taste like licorice though! It has fresh, savory tones to it.
This goes well with braised pork, roasted chicken, and braised beef. You can even eat it by itself as a light lunch!
You can store leftover roast fennel in a sealed container, refrigerated, for a couple of days. Reheat in a saute pan when ready to eat again.
You can also make soup. Puree the leftovers, or use an immersion blender, and make a potato soup out of it.
I hope you give this recipe a try. If you haven’t cooked with fennel yet, get started today. I think it can elevate ordinary dishes to an entirely new level. I’ve left you a few of my favorites recipes below to taste!
Thanks for reading Platter Talk. We love sharing our food ideas with you and would love to hear what you think of our recipes! Leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to get back to you!
More Fennel Recipes for You
- Fennel Soup with Watercress and Chickpeas
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Fennel
- Fennel and Beet Salad
- Caramelized Fennel, Onion & Kale Toasted Cheese Sandwich
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Roasted fennel
Ingredients
- 4 Fennel bulbs, Washed, trimmed and cut into 1/3 to 1/2 inch wedges.
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, fresh ground to taste
- 1 tbsp Oregano leaves, fresh, chopped
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheeese, shaved
- 1 tbsp Fennel fronds, chopped
- 1/2 Lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° Cut the fennel into wedges and place in a mixing bowl. Stir in olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Arrange the fennel mixture in a single layer on a sheet pan. Use a rubber spatula to get all of the olive oil from the bowl as well. Roast for 30 minutes until the tops start to run brown. Then take a spatula and flip the pieces over. Sprinkle with 1/2 the Parmesan and roast for an additional 10 minutes, until they start to caramelize.
- Return the roasted fennel to the mixing bowl and toss with the Parmesan, lemon juice, and chopped fronds.
Notes
- I eyeball the olive oil. Use whatever it takes to coat the fennel. Same with the Parmesan, I don’t usually measure it!
- And, the same with the oregano.
- You can also use other herbs but I like this combo.
- Fennel should be fork-tender at the end.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe. Love it especially with roasted chicken!