Braised Fennel with White Wine & Cream

About a year ago, I had the pleasure of attending a function hosted by Kendra - who owns a great deli downtown here.  She's a terrific cook with great knowledge, new ideas and a wonderful attitude to home cooked meals.

The dinner she made while I was there included a side dish of braised fennel.  Now, I had never had fennel before, so I tasted this dish with wonder and amazement!  I mean - something so simple yet so tasty!  I was hooked, and have recreated her dish many times over and over again.

For those that don't know - fennel is a bulb (like celery) that smells remarkable like black licorice.  There are a number of ways you can use it (I've heard grilled in big slabs on the BBQ is quite tasty) so give other methods a try, once you enjoy this savory version!

So, grab yourself a few steaks, fire up the grill and go ahead and have this delicious dish along side!

Braised Fennel with White Wine & Cream

Makes: enough to serve 4

2-3 heads of fennel
3/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
3 Tbsp fennel greens












Begin by cutting the tops off the fennel.

Then cut the bottom off.









Save the best looking tops (fennel greens) for later use.  You can also use the greens (the thinnest part - looks like dill weed) in other salads like green, potato, cucumber....use your imagination!


Cut in half, and discard any grungy outer layers, or carefully slice the discoloured parts off.

Inside, you will notice the core of the fennel.  You don't want to be eating this, so go ahead and remove it!






Then, start slicing the fennel into 1/2 inch slices.








Heat some vegetable oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  When hot, add the sliced fennel.







Stir a few times and when you notice the fennel begin to brown (about 4-5 minutes) reduce the heat to medium.

Now it's time to add the wine and cream!







Salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer over medium heat, uncovered until fennel reaches your desired doneness.  Think slightly crunchy, yet tender.  This takes about 20 minutes (perfect amount of time to grill your steaks).  Remember to stir a few times during the process.


Just before you're done, take a few of the fennel greens and chop them up really fine.








Toss them into the pan, and stir again.

Your fennel is ready to serve!  Enjoy!

--The Cook