by: Kate McMillan
Cook Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
summary
Braising imparts wonderful flavor to vegetables and promises mostly hands-off cooking. This easy recipe sears fennel to give it a nice caramelized surface before roasting in the oven with a small amount of liquid. The resulting braised fennel makes for an easily prepared side dish that’s delicious and lushly textured.
ingredients
- 4 small fennel bulbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine
directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Trim the bottom of the fennel and the top, leaving about 2 inches of the stalks intact and reserving the fronds. Cut the fennel in half lengthwise.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is warm and bubbly, add the fennel, cut side down. Let the fennel cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish, cut side up, and pour the skillet pan juices over the top of the fennel.
- Season the fennel with the salt, pepper and sugar, and pour the chicken broth and wine around the fennel. Add the fronds to the dish, and transfer to the oven.
- Cook until the fennel is fork-tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Serve at once.
notes
If you can’t find small fennel, it’s ok to buy larger fennel, but quarter it instead of cutting it in half.
Fennel fronds are the wispy ends on the stalk. They have incredible flavor and can be used much like fresh herbs.
This dish is best served straight from the oven.
Other vegetables you can use with this braising technique include leeks, carrots, rutabaga, endive and parsnips.
