Fennel Recipes from France

You will find lots of fennel recipes in France although the French do not eat as much of this lovely vegetable as their neighbors to the south-east, the Italians. I encourage you to try this vegetable if you have never had it. Fennel is so satisfying and it is a nutritional phenomena.

The Fennel Plant

The fennel plant has been appreciated since ancient times. It originally grew wild (and still does) in the Mediterranean region and its popularity spread across many cultures.

The variety of fennel that is used in these fennel recipes is known as Florence fennel, or sometimes bulb fennel. It's roundish base, which isn't actually a bulb but tightly packed white leaves, is topped by green stalks ending in wispy leaves. Fennel has a mild licorice flavor that marries well with many recipes.

Fennel seeds come from a different variety of fennel plant and are used to flavor sausage, stews and other hearty dishes. The seeds are also considered to have medicinal qualities including being helpful for digestive problems.

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Selecting Fennel - Look for vegetables that are firm and heavy in your hand, with a fresh aspect to the green top, and no brown spots on the bulb.

Storing Fennel - You can store fennel in the refrigerator for several days, although it does tend to lose some of its flavor the longer you keep it. Wrap it well or store it in a plastic container to keep it fresh and avoid having its flavor mingle with everything else in your refrigerator.

Preparing Fennel - Before preparing these fennel recipes, you need to cut off some of bulb. Begin by removing the green tops, which can be set aside and dried to flavor a soup or stew. If you want whole bulbs just cut off a small piece of the base otherwise cut it off at about 1/2 inch, then remove the two most outer leaves which can be tough.

Raw Fennel - You can serve raw fennel slices with a dip. The leaves make great scoopers and the fennel adds a pleasant licorice taste. Fennel can be chopped finely and served in a salad as in the recipe below. You might also like to try raw fennel with apples, melon, ham, or smoked salmon.

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Cooking Fennel

• Fennel is an extremely versatile vegetable. It can be baked, steamed, boiled, or braised. Its licorice flavor mellows into a light sweetness with cooking.
• You can cut fennel bulbs in quarters and use them as a bed for cooking chicken or fish.
• Try adding fennel to your papillotes. It could replace the zucchini in this easy baked fish recipe.

Here are two fennel recipes to get you started enjoying this magnificent vegetable.

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Fennel Salad Recipe

• 2 fennel bulbs
• 2 oranges
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Cut off the green top and the base of the fennel bulbs. Wash them and slice very thinly. Peel and cut one of the oranges in small pieces and put in a salad bowl with the fennel.

Prepare a vinaigrette with the juice of the other orange, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour on the fennel and oranges, sprinkle on the dill and toss.

Makes four servings.

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Compotée de fenouil

• 4 fennel bulbs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• salt and pepper

Cut the tops and bottoms off of the fennel bulbs. Remove the two outer leaves and rinse the bulb well under running water. Cut it in 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet and add the fennel and onion. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the white wine, cover the skillet, leaving it just slightly open. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes or until the fennel is soft and mellow. Season with additional salt and pepper if you wish.

Serves four.

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