Feeling Fennel THAT

Dried fennel seeds are readily available all year round in the supermarket, but at this time of year I can’t help but be inspired to include these little pods of flavour in my cooking as country roads are literally lined with wild fennel going to seed.

Fennel seeds are delicious with pan fried fish or added to savoury muffins or bread. Here are three of my favourite recipes at the moment.

Fennel Roasted Cauliflower with Burnt Onion Labneh

2 brown onions

2 cups Greek yoghurt

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tbsp fennel seeds olive oil salt & pepper

To make the labneh, strain the yoghurt in a clean tea-towel or muslin cloth overnight or for at least a few hours, until most of the liquid has seeped out.

Slice the onions in half from top to bottom, keeping the skin on. In a heavy-bottom pan or BBQ, over a medium-high heat, place the onion face down and cook for 30 minutes or until the surface has blackened and the onion is completely soft.

Peel the outer layer and cut the bottom root off, then blitz the rest in a high-speed blender until you get a smooth puree. You may need a dash of olive oil to help it blend. Once pureed, set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Place the cauliflower in one layer on an oven tray, then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over fennel seeds and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until cooked and starting to colour.

Mix the labneh together with the onion puree and a pinch of salt, then smear on the bottom of a plate. Top with the roasted cauliflower florets.

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Pork and Fennel Meatballs

500g pork mince

1 large onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1½ tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle

1 large apple, peeled and grated zest of a lemon

1 egg

¾ cup breadcrumbs salt & pepper

In a small pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, crushed fennel seeds and a large pinch of salt and continue to sauté until fragrant and starting to colour. Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix the pork mince, cooled onion mix, grated apple, lemon zest, egg and breadcrumbs, along with a grinding of salt and pepper. Shape the mix into small meatballs (or patties, sausages etc). Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil. Colour the meatballs in the pan until golden, then transfer to a tray. Place in a moderate oven for a further 10–15 minutes to continue cooking.

Fennel Seed Olive Oil Crackers

These crisp crackers make a gorgeous accompaniment to a cheese or antipasto platter. While delicious with a creamy soft cheese like a brie, I am also known to just munch on them as is.

1½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¹⁄³ cup water

1–2 tsp flaky sea salt

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, fennel seeds and first measure of salt together. Add in the olive oil and water and mix until it comes together into a dough. Allow to rest for 5–10 minutes then divide into two.

Roll out as thin as you can! To do this keep flipping the dough as you roll it out to stop it from sticking to the bench. If you can be bothered, you can pull out the pasta machine and run the dough through this to get it as thin as possible. You are aiming for dough 1mm thick at the most.

Place the rolled-out dough onto a lined baking tray, brush the top with water and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 200°C for 8–12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool before breaking into shards and storing in an airtight container for up to a week.

TIP – If stored in an airtight container, the crackers will still be fine to eat after a couple of weeks, but you may want to crisp them up again by popping into the oven for a couple of minutes.