A favorite ice cream flavor of mine growing up was mandarin chocolate. When I started cooking I figured out what the “mandarin” part was and have played with those flavors in other things since then. Here is another dish inspired by those excursions. This recipe lists carrot, but they can be omitted if you choose. They are a good companion to fennel as they have sweetness to match the aroma of fennel and they have an earthiness that helps ground the fennel, onion, and orange juice.
INGREDIENTS:
2 heads fennel, fronds and stalks trimmed and discarded or saved for something else 2 chantenay carrots, cleaned, split lengthwise and sliced diagonally into 1½ x 1/8th inch pieces 1 white or yellow onion, split through the root and thinly sliced into half moons 2-3 cups vegetable stock ½ cup tangerine or orange juice (around 4 “Cuties” or other small tangerine) strained for seeds 1/8th teaspoon cinnamon 1/8th teaspoon fennel seeds, powdered 2 cloves, 1 star anise, 12 peppercorns, powdered or finely ground in a spice mill Salt and pepper to taste Grape seed oil as needed 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butterMETHOD:
Mix the ground spices together and measure out ½ teaspoon of the mixed spices. Taste a little. No one flavor should really stand out, but the blend should give the impression of cinnamon with a special “oomph” behind it.
Halve the fennel bulbs through the root, then cut into wedges ½ inch thick at the back. Trim most of the root away, but leave enough so the wedges stay together.
Heat a 10-inch sauteuse or braising pan over medium heat. When hot, film well with oil and heat the oil until quite hot. Add the fennel wedges and cook until the sides are browned. Remove from the pan.
Add the carrots and onions and cook until they are softened and lightly colored.
Scatter the spices over the vegetables in the pan and season with a little salt. Add the fennel wedges and add enough stock to come halfway up the fennel. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until fennel is very tender.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the pan and place them on a serving platter or in a bowl. Keep them hot under a piece of foil or in a low temperature oven. Raise the heat under the pan to high and reduce the liquid in the pan to a ½ cup or less and it is thickened a bit. Add the butter off the heat and swirl the pan, incorporating the butter into the liquid as it melts, forming an emulsification.
If plating individually, put down some carrot and onion, then top with fennel wedges, then spoon sauce over the fennel. If serving family style, pull the fennel wedges and put them in the sauce, put the onion and carrot on the platter and then top with the fennel. Pour over any remaining sauce.
Serve hot.
Chef’s Notes: You can skip the carrots if you wish. If you do not have all of these spices, you could just try using a little pinch of Chinese Five-Spice, but add a little extra cinnamon and powdered fennel seed to the blend. The dish will have little tingle of heat to it from the Szechuan peppercorn ion the Five-Spice, but nothing too hot.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
