When I spent time at our mission house in Italy, I fell in love with fennel. For many, this might be a vegetable you see in the grocery store and have absolutely no idea what you would do with it. It is an underutilized vegetable and during the doldrums of winter, it might just become your new favorite. It looks a bit like it might be a member of the celery family or some sort of cabbage, but instead, it’s a flowering plant of the carrot family. The flavor is subtle, slightly sweet and has hints of anise, but don’t worry, you won’t be eating a Twizzler when it is cooked correctly. It can be eaten raw – thinly sliced in a salad or slaw or carmelized and used in a soup or stew. In this simple recipe, we’ll show you how to take this lovely vegetable and transform it into a velvety and flavorful side dish.
SERVINGS6CHANGE SERVING SIZE |
COOK TIME15mins |
PREP TIME10mins |
READY IN |
Ingredients
- 3 medium fennel bulbs trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 2 tbsp butter divided
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated (about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Cut each fennel half into 3 wedges. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
- Add wine, stock, salt, pepper, minced garlic and thyme sprigs; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until liquid is slightly thickened. Remove thyme sprigs from pan; discard.
- Melt remaining 1 Tbsp.butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat; stir in parsley and cheese. Arrange fennel wedges on a plate and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture.