fennel is an interesting vegetable. when eaten raw i find it to have a celery-like texture with a hint of licorice – which is not my favorite flavor. but like most vegetables, when roasted the flavors mellow out and gain a toasty and buttery quality. i don’t roast the stems because i find them quite stringy, but i do save some of the fuzzy greens to chop up and season the bulbs with while they cook. afterward, they’re dressed with fresh orange zest, a classic combination that never fails to make those subtle flavors pop a little more.
and while i haven’t written much about couscous here before, it’s because quite frankly i like quinoa and brown rice better. but i will say that it is super quick and easy to make and it serves as a nice neutral background to compliment the more complex flavors atop it.
roasted fennel
2 large fresh fennel bulbs plus some of their greens
1 tsp kosher salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh orange zest
couscous
1 c vegetable broth
1 c dry couscous
preheat your oven to 400F.
wash your fennel thoroughly. chop off the tops and set them aside.
cut the bulbs into 10-12 pieces, so they are all roughly the same size and none are too big. put them in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil and kosher salt. finely chop up some of greens of the fennel, removing any thick stems, and toss 3 tablespoons of it in with the fennel bulbs.
lay them out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. bake for about 45 minutes, mixing and flipping with a spatula every 10 minutes or so.
while that’s cooking, you can grate the orange zest and prepare the couscous. bring the cup of vegetable broth to a boil and cut the heat, pour in the couscous, give a quick stir, and cover for at least 5 minutes. when you open it up, fluff it with a fork, add seasonings if you’d like, and it’s ready to serve!
when the fennel came out of the oven i served it on top of the couscous, but they would also be awesome tossed all together. best enjoyed immediately, roasted vegetables are never as good after refrigerating.
yields 2-3 servings
5 Comments
We must be on the same wavelength. I had roasted fennel with polenta for dinner last night. So delicious. Next time I must try it with the orange zest!
What a great idea! I tried raw fennel once and I really didn’t like it, I like licorice as candy, not in vegetable form. I think I will try this though, you convinced me!
I am hoping to grow some fennel this year, I did so successfully last year. so will keep in mind this recipe, it really does look very good.
A friend just posted your blog on my FB wall stating I would like it. I read your “about” page and I can relate to much of what you said especially the part about growing up on junk food. (I can’t talk about that on my blog though b/c my mother…oh my mother…might get her feelings hurt.)
So why in the heck am I’m commenting on your fennel recipe b/c I just got more fennel in my CSA box (a-gain) and I don’t know what the heck to do with it. I think I may have to try this recipe out.
haha. that’s interesting you say that because i think my mom was offended by that little bit. but i don’t blame her though, junk food had been fairly newly introduced to our culture and no one really knew it’s long-term effects yet. it’s something we’ve really all got to discover on our own.
some people go the raw route with fennel, but to me roasted is the only way to go!