Fennel bulbs can be intimidating–how on earth do they translate into something worth eating?
a huddle of fennels!
Firstly you have to “disarm” them by removing the discolored and damaged casing.
To do this it helps to slice them across the base.
Then quarter them and shave off the hard white core.
Now you have a friendlier looking and more promising vegetable to work with!
Slice these quarters not too thinly and away we go!
This dish has a background “heat“, not too strong–call it a soft kick–that keeps the interest and makes you want to finish it off.
To be enjoyed as a side dish–or even the main event.
4-6 average fennel bulbs
3 garlic cloves–peeled and sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 small red chili–seeds removed and the remaining chili chopped
3 tbs olive oil
250gm/8oz tinned [canned] tomatoes–drained and chopped
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Heat the oil in a pan with a cover.
Add the fennel and turn it in the oil.
Let it soften a little.
Add the garlic and mix well.
When the aroma rises, add the seeds and the chili and turn them in.
Add the chopped tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of water and mix thoroughly.
Season with salt and pepper, then cover the pan.
Cook on a low heat for 20 to 30 minutes–the fennel should be tender and inviting.
Drizzle with a little of your best olive oil–and try not to have a second helping!
Robin Ellis 
Thank you for this recipe. I love fennel, I slice it thinly saute it along with onion and garlic with bacon or pancetta . When it’s softened I add some goat cheese or feta, When that’s melted , it’s ready.
It will be great to try yours with the chili!
I “discovered” fennel during your cooking workshop. I love it and since returning home from the workshop I eat fennel on a weekly basis. I use it in recipes (Sweet potato, fennel and smokey bacon in a pot being a favorite), make fennel and apple salads for a snack, use it in soups and every fennel recipe you post. It tastes delicious cooked or uncooked and is very good for you. Looking forward to trying this new recipe.
This is an inspiration as I’ve never yet got to grips with fennel.
I wonder if you saw this article in the Guardian – I thought the timing was perfect and hope that you can use it to help promote your new book!
The Guardian, Sunday 8 December 2013 22.30 GMT
In a letter to Jeremy Hunt (Health Secretary UK), doctors say persuading people to eat a Mediterranean diet is ‘best strategy available’
Doctors said persuading people to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish and olive oil is ‘best strategy currently available’. The battle against dementia should be refocused away from “dubious” drugs to the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, a group of doctors and health workers said ahead of an international summit.
In a letter to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, they said persuading people to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish and olive oil was “possibly the best strategy currently available”.
Dementia experts from G8 countries will gather in London this week for a meeting convened by the prime minister, David Cameron, as part of the UK’s presidency of the group of leading economies.
Hunt has called dementia a health and care “timebomb” with the number of people living with the condition expected to triple worldwide to 135 million by 2050, according to a recent report.
There is also a lack of diagnosis in England and Wales – with fewer than half of cases formally recognised by GPs and patchy performance across different areas. Critics of current policies are also concerned about high levels of anti-psychotic drug prescription.
Among signatories to the letter were former chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, professor Clare Gerada, the chair of the National Obesity Forum, professor David Haslam, professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Liverpool Simon Capewell and London cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra.
They said successfully encouraging people on to a healthier diet could have a far greater impact in the fight to reduce the dramatically increasing rates of the disease than pharmaceutical and medical interventions and “the dubious benefit of most drugs”. It can also protect against coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.
Research by the University of Exeter’s Medical School found a majority of studies suggested the diet could improve cognitive function, lower rates of decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
However, results for mild cognitive impairment – the stage before Alzheimer’s or dementia, when someone could be experiencing some cognitive difficulties – were inconsistent.
Dr Malhotra said: “The evidence base for the Mediterranean diet, in preventing all of the chronic diseases that is plaguing the western world is overwhelming.
“This includes cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer
“Policymakers and the public need to know that such a diet is far more potent than the often dubious benefit of many medications and without side-effects.”
Dr Simon Poole, a leading advocate of the Mediterranean diet who organised the letter, said: “Educating all generations, including our children, in the importance of a good diet in maintaining health in old age is a project which will take years, but is absolutely essential.
“We are calling upon policymakers to not only support the care and treatment of those who are already suffering from dementia, but to make significant investments in work which will see benefits beyond the period of one or two parliaments.”
You could suggest that every GP practice in UK could buy your book!
Thanks Sheila–I was alerted to it and posted it on Facebook. The Med way of eating is in the news again!
Oh dear I’m behind the times!
Thanks for this! I love the flavor of fennel but have never cooked with it! I guess I was daunted by the what-to-do question, which you have neatly solved.
Thank you!
Nancy N
Love the thread..and love the fennel – anethole is a wonderful constituent of the Med Diet. Ah if only the skills of cooking simple and healthy dishes could be taught in GP surgeries…if only most doctors understood the benefits!
I really like what you are doing Robin!
Simon Poole
Thank you, Simon–looks like we are of a mind.