Fennel: Shrinking Violet No More

We eat more fennel in our house than any household in America. An inordinate amount. Ditto for anchovies. When I chop fennel for whatever delightful dish I’m whipping up, there are little hands reaching up to the counter grabbing slices off the cutting board. Eventually Bird just pulls up a barstool and perches next to me so he can munch as I chop.I have to buy three times more fennel than a recipe calls for because Bird and Deal will likely snack on the crunchy anise gems before I can plunk them into the pot.

Mac Daddy and Bird made lobster rolls with fennel slaw over the summer. Normally the lobster would take center stage in lobster rolls, right? Nope. In this dish the fennel was the lonely girl wallflower turned super star. We all DEVOURED that meal and clamored for seconds. Had I been sporting my buffet pants (aka maternity jeans), I would have gone for thirds.

Poor fennel. It’s oft overlooked. Most people give fennel’s bulbous white paunch and unwieldy green fronds a look of disdain, thinking it akin to the freaky kid who sits in seventh period with one hand in his pants and one doodling alien creatures in the margins of his composition book. No one wants to befriend fennel to give it a chance to show its earthy sweetness. Consumers flock past it, choosing safer green options like broccoli or string beans. Little do these shoppers know the whiz bang flavor their taste buds are missing.

Fennel ain’t a one trick pony. You can dress it up with grated parmesan and olive oil or serve it casual chic with red onions and orange slices. Fennel is confident enough to be the sizzling star and humble enough to be an understudy. Fennel is fragrant and flavorful from its bulb to its stalk to its leaves to its seeds! No waste on this punch of antioxidants and vitamin C. Plus, it’s mighty tasty either raw or cooked. Fennel also boasts a good source of fiber, potassium, and folate. It’s a fine veggie that’s good for all sorts of organs – heart, liver, colon.

We enjoy fennel roasted with parmesan melted on top. We love it slivered in a salad with red onions and orange slices. We munch it raw dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s downright sweet and luscious sauteed in brown butter and garlic. And thanks to @Suebob of Red Stapler fame, I’m trying this confit next. So tell me, what’s your favorite way to eat fennel?

And if you haven’t tried it yet, take it out for a spin. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

This post was in no way sponsored by the Fennel Producers of America (if such an organization exists). I just happen to love me some fennel.