I’ve been eying fennel in the store for a while now, and we finally pulled the trigger and brought a bulb home. The reason it took so long to do was that while I love licorice flavours (and get to eat 100% of the black jelly beans!), I’m the odd man out in my household with respect to that particular taste bud preference. That said, grilling (or roasting) fennel brings out the sweeter/nuttier notes and tempers the licorice flavours quite a bit (to the point where I wasn’t the only one in the house to enjoy the flavour). Anyway, if you don’t hate licorice to the core of your being, and you’ve ever been intrigued by these little white bulbs in the grocery store, this is an excellent way to try them!
We served our Grilled Fennel as a side dish to Grilled Duck leg with Morel Gravy and complemented it with Butter Fried Morels. However, this would work well as a side to any richly flavoured beef dish like Coffee Crusted Sirloin Steak, Grilled New York Strip Steak, or Seared Flat Iron Steak…or with Mutton/Lamb entrees like Mutton Pot Roast or Seared Mutton Loin Chops.
Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Fennel Root
- Black Pepper
- Salt
Method:
- Preheat your grill, and line a grill safe pan with a little foil, and give it a quick oil spray.
- Slice the very top/stalky part off your fennel.
- Slice your fennel ball into cross-sections working from the top down to the bulb end where everything is held together.
- Place your fennel slices on your grill pan, and give the tops a quick oil spray. Then, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.
- Place your pan on the grill, and grill for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Then, flip, and continue to cook until your fennel has browned on the outside and has softened considerably.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
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