Adjust the thickness as needed. Stir in toasted almonds just before serving. Cook until the stock is absorbed and the cheese is lightly browned about 30 minutes. And that's it. The stalk and fronds can be used in salads or as a garnish. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Position one fennel half base side down on the mandoline or slicer. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the fronds. To cut back perennials, use hand pruners to cut back each stem to just above a leaf or bud.You will want to remove one-third to one-half of the stem's length. Thinly shave the bottom of the bulb away. Cutting a wedge will make your fennel quarters easier to eat. And the fronds should be treated like delicate, anise-scented herbs that can be minced and tossed into a salad or sauce, or used as a garnish. Be sure to stop as soon as you hit the hard, flavorless core. These simple stretches reduce muscle tension and stiffness, Tipping etiquette for all the important people who take care of you, Expert tips to improve your skin complexion and texture, All products and services featured are selected by our editors. fumet), and soups. Reserve fennel fronds for garnish — the tender green leaves can be pulled off and used similarly to fresh herbs. The fronds on the fennel plant are delicate and feathery, which makes them great in salad recipes or as a garnish on meat and fish entrees. Now cut each cored fennel quarter into lengthwise slices, to your desired thickness. How far apart you space the vertical and horizontal cuts will determine the final dice size. How to Use Fennel. slice off the end of the core slightly. For slices of fennel, thin slice widthwise starting at the bottom of the bulb all the way to the stalks. Fennel is a simple and robust vegetable to work with that holds it's shape whether slicing it thinly on a mandolin or deploying your knife skills. Rest the fennel on its side on a no-slip cutting board. Thinly slice the sugar snaps and roast the pumpkin seeds. Larger fennels will have thicker layers and a larger core. Then remove the stalk by cutting it out with a wedge-shaped knife. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. For really thin, shaved slices of fennel, use a mandoline. Just don't get too freaky, okay? You can find more fennel coverage and recipes here. Make this spicy, tingly, salty, crunchy, addictive chili condiment your own. First off, you'll need a sharp knife and a vegetable peeler. Hold the fennel down securely on a cutting board. Real Simple is part of the Meredith Home Group. Finally, dice the fennel by making a series of vertical cuts perpendicular to the first set of vertical cuts, using the knuckles of your non-knife hand as a guide for the blade. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest recipes and tips! To dice fennel, use the same rules as for dicing an onion. I find this wasteful; instead, just peel it. Begin by slicing the fennel bulb in half through the middle, cutting parallel to the bulb's wider dimension. Roast. After cleaning, it is advisable to pat the fennel dry in order to … Celery. Add a blend of chicken broth and cream. Holding the top of the fennel bulb to steady it and using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice off the root end of the fennel bulb. Make divots on either side of the core and cut it away and discard. 3. Cut the bulb in half from top to bottom to reveal the core. Looking for more ways to prepare fennel but still play with the mandoline, I turned to Alice Water’s Chez Panisse Vegetables (1996) and discovered her recipe for caramelized fennel (page 155). Here's how to slice it, dice it, or do whatever else you want with it. Then make a series of horizontal cuts in the bulb. Thinly sliced raw fennel bulb adds a sweet licorice flavor and crunchy texture to salads. Grease a small to medium baking dish with butter. Quarter the bulb lengthwise, leaving the core intact. The first step should always be washing the fennel under running water. Cut the bulb in half. When it's cored, you can choose between two ways of slicing the fennel: pole to pole (with the knife parallel to the line running from the root end to the stalk end), which produces straighter slices; or orbitally (with the knife perpendicular to the pole-to-pole line), which produces more rounded slices. Cook seafood as usual, adding fennel to the pan to soften (and season fish). Slice the fennel into larger, thin pieces. Learn more on our Terms of Use page. All parts of the fennel plant—bulb, stalk, and the feathery fronds—are edible, and will add texture and flavor to salads, slaws, pastas, and more. To slice the fennel, place the fennel on its cut side and cut thin half-moon slices parallel to the root end using a circular motion. Pull off and discard any discolored parts from the bulb. Cutting the fennel in half and slicing down across the bulb will give you boomerang shaped slices. Remove and discard the fennel stalks; reserve some of the feathery leaves for garnish. Then, thinly slice the bulb up until the stalks turn to fronds. Trim off the fennel stems. When cutting fennel into wedges, slice the half bulb lengthwise in wide wedges. In the case of fennel, the core is entirely edible, if a tiny bit firmer than the rest of the bulb. Fennel is a digestive tract savior. Does fennel make you fart? Plus, fennel is a treasure trove of goodies: There's the crisp-tender bulb, the aromatic stalks, and the herb-like fronds. Starting with your peeled bulb, once again cut it in half through the middle, parallel to the bulb's wider dimension. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy. To do that, start by quartering the bulb through the middle. You should get 6-8 slices from each full fennel … Thinly slice to add crunch to fall salads, use it in place of onion to perk up tomato soup, or braise it with chicken or pork for a savory dinner. Turn the bulb and slice crosswise, creating the size dice you desire. Let no unruly bulb of fennel be a source of intimidation ever again. Use this substitution ratio: 1 fennel bulb (1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped) = 2 to 3 medium celery stalks. This means you can either leave it in or cut it out. The photos here show the straighter, pole-to-pole option. Leaving it in will produce slices that each contain multiple layers of fennel, all held together by the core. Some HTML is OK: link, strong, em. Then cut the fennel into columns with a sharp knife. Look for fennel bulbs that are pale green or white with no discoloration. Honestly, it's easy. While fennel is not known to be especially slippery, it is still a wise idea to hold it still on a resistant surface to prevent it from slipping away under your grasp. Bake at 375°F until tender. Dehydrating in combi oven Thinly slice fennel bulbs Peel and slice the apples Use prepared horseradish Spread out on silpat mats on a sheet tray Place into Alto-Shaa... 17 … The first thing you'll notice when fennel is past its prime is browning at the edges of each layer, so check there first. In an onion, that core is very small, while in fennel, it's quite a bit larger and extends farther up from the root into the center of the bulb. I've seen fennel stump more than one home cook, with its wide bulb and the celery-like branches radiating off it. The first step is to cut off the stalks where they meet the top of the bulb. For really thin, shaved slices of fennel, use a mandoline. Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle relative to the cutting board, and slice the core out. Has your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie gone bad? Fennel, also known as sweet anise, is most commonly served raw, usually sliced very thinly and tossed with a bright dressing as a salad or added to green salads for a bit of extra crunch and light anise flavor. For chopping fennel, slice the half bulb lengthwise, and then come back and chop widthwise. To roast fennel, slice it ½-inch wedges by first cutting the trimmed … Credit: Place the fennel with the cut side on board. Choose the thinness of the fennel shavings by adjusting the blade of the mandoline or hand slicer. Use a dry frying pan to roast the pumpkin seeds over medium heat for several minutes. Bundle up and head outside (or stay toasty inside)—either way, everyone in the family will love these snow day ideas. Dicing fennel is much like dicing an onion. I'm a big fan of the Y-peelers made by Kuhn Rikon. Thinly slice to add crunch to fall salads, use it in place of onion to perk up tomato soup, or braise it with chicken or pork for a savory dinner. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. Keep the core and slice off layers held together by the core. Most fennel bulbs look a bit bruised, dirty, and dinged on their surface. Two natural pantry items will have it looking brand new! There will be the core on the inside of the slices. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. To start, cut off the long stems just above the bulb. Place the fennel and the 2 … Thick, hearty, loaded with flavor, and entirely customizable. All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. Discard the root. Fennel is built a lot like an onion, with multiple layers held together by a core. Using a fluid motion, slide the fennel back and forth across the blade, allowing the shavings to fall on the cutting board. Place one hand toward the top of the fennel bulb to steady it. Then simply dress with a basic olive oil and lemon vinaigrette for a refreshing and healthy dish. Remove and discard any wilted outer layers of the bulb. To make thinner sliced strips, you'll want to remove the core first. A lot of cookbooks and cooking guides say to pull off that outer layer and discard it. They're a heck of a lot prettier than parsley leaves. With its delicate anise flavor and crisp, refreshing texture, fennel is a natural addition to salads, but transforming it from dense bulb to thin slices can be daunting if you've yet to do it before. Make sure to thinly slice it to get a similar fennel-like vibe. Find out exactly how many strands you need. this website. Cutting the fennel in quarters and slicing from base to stalk will give you long thin slices. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Place the fennel in the dish and salt and pepper lightly; Add 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Set each half flat on a cutting board, and slice down through the bulb in a series of vertical cuts, being careful not to cut all the way through the root end, so that the layers remain connected. Using a large sharp chef's knife, slice off the bottom of the fennel. Serve solo or over quinoa, pasta or rice. This versatile and sweet vegetable has a slight anise (licorice) flavor and a snappy texture. Slice the chilled fennel thinly. The main thing you want to decide when slicing fennel is whether to do it with the core in or out. Lay the quarter of fennel with the cut side flat against the top of the mandoline. This will help the layers stay together. Don't just throw them out, though: The stalks can be used to flavor stocks, especially fish stock (a.k.a. The touch of crispy fennel flavor enhances all these dishes. You'll end up with individual strips of sliced fennel. Slice thinly starting at the root end. While the fennel is roasting in the oven, prepare the pumpkin seeds and sugar snaps. Cut in Half. I'm a big fan of the Y-peelers made by Kuhn Rikon. Cooking mellows the anise flavor and gives the bulb a soft, buttery texture. Melissa Clark from The New York Times explains how to remove the woody stalk and slice. Depending on how you want to prepare it, it can be cut into slices, wedges or diced. Cut the halves into quarters. This kind of cut is great in salads, for instance, or, if sliced thickly, as part of a crudité platter. Cutting the fennel into slices: First, cut the fennel in half in the stem’s direction. This would work well in a fennel salad. To add slices of raw fennel into a fresh and crunchy salad, try thinly shaving the bulb on a mandoline. Each quarter will have a quarter of the core attached to it. You now have a cleaned, trimmed fennel bulb that can be halved or quartered for roasting, sliced for salads, or diced for sautéing. It can also simply be cut into wedges or quarters after removing the stem, depending on your chosen use. Peel off any wilted outer layers. The best cooking method for the most tender cut of meat around. Pair fennel with shrimp, salmon or your favorite fish. Thinly slice the bulb crosswise, using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife. Cajun Gumbo With Chicken and Andouille Sausage. Lay cut side down, then slice each half into ½" thick pieces. Lay the quartered fennel on one of its cut sides, and slice thinly from root to tip while using your nondominant hand to hold the quartered fennel steady. Learn how to tell—and find out how long store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie lasts. Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. Lay the quarter of fennel with the cut side flat against the mandoline. I’ve also added thinly sliced raw fennel to radicchio salads and to grain salads of red quinoa, emmer farro or einka farro. Once it's peeled, trim off the root end of the bulb. Close the distance with fun games you can play from the comfort of separate homes. Very thinly sliced celery, fennel, and zucchini are tossed with butter beans and a simple white-wine vinaigrette, then chilled for an hour to allow the flavors to develop in this fuss-free salad. You'll get rid of the undesirable exterior, but save a significant portion of edible fennel in the process. If you take the core out, you'll get very thin individual strips. This versatile and sweet vegetable has a slight anise (licorice) flavor and a snappy texture. Cut the fennel into wedges through the core, making sure you keep a piece of core in each wedge. Press down with the safety guard to secure the bulb, then quickly run the bulb across the blade to shave it into thin slices. Slice or dice, mix with other veggies (beet, butternut squash, sweet pepper), toss with olive oil, and oven roast. Pesto. I get it, it's weird-looking...where do you start? Fennel can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Some comments may be held for manual review. 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