French cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Fenouil Braisé à l'Orange

Fennel quarters browned in butter and braised in orange juice until a sweet-tart syrup forms.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 3 fennel bulbs
• 2 organic oranges
• 40 g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 150 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pluck the tender fronds from the fennel and set aside, trim the bulbs, quarter them lengthwise and leave the tough core just barely attached so the quarters hold together.
2. Thinly peel the zest from one orange and cut into strips, squeeze the juice from both oranges.
3. Heat the butter and olive oil in a wide pan and brown the fennel quarters cut-side down for 4–5 min per side until golden.
4. Sprinkle with sugar, add the fennel seeds and orange zest and roast for 1 min until fragrant.
5. Pour in the orange juice and stock, season with salt, cover and braise over low heat for 20–25 min until the fennel yields to the point of a knife.
6. Remove the lid, reduce the liquid uncovered for 5 min to a glossy syrup, season with pepper and serve sprinkled with the fennel fronds.